THE SRI LANKAN MOBILE TELECOM MARKET: GROWING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000948 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CE ECON ETRD PGOV EINV ECPS IN SUBJECT: THE SRI LANKAN MOBILE TELECOM MARKET: GROWING PAINS WITH EXPANSION AND INCREASED COMPETITION ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: There is increasing competition in the Sri Lankan mobile telecommunications sector which has led to more choice and lower calling costs for consumers. Mobile service providers have struggled to maintain profitability as competition has risen and prices have fallen. Cooperation between providers remains limited and this has been an added impediment towards achieving elusive profits and an even playing field between competitors. Service expansion into northern Sri Lanka remains more of a plan than a near-term action. End Summary. ¶2. (U) BACKGROUND: Until 1989, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT),was the government monopoly provider of fixed line services. There were no mobile or other operators in the market. Major reforms began in 1989 with the entry of the first private operator Celltel (later named TIGO). From 1989 through 1995, three other operators entered the market (Dialog being the last in 1995). In 1996, wireless local loop operators Suntel and Lanka Bell entered the market. In 1997, SLT was partially privatized with the government retaining a 61.5% stake, of which 12.5% more was sold in 2003. In 2002, SLT became the owner of Mobitel which allowed SLT to enter the mobile market. SLT's monopoly control over primary international switches ended in August 2002, which greatly affected competitiveness within the telecom market. In early 2003, the GSL liberalized international telecommunications and issued 29 gateway licenses. Since then, international call rates have dropped sharply. Bharati was the most recent entry into the mobile market with initiation of service in early 2009. THE FEISTY NEWCOMER TO THE SRI LANKAN MOBILE SERVICE FAMILY ¶3. (SBU) The most recent entry into the Sri Lankan mobile telecommunications market is India's Bharati Airtel, now the country's fourth largest mobile service provider. Airtel obtained its license to operate in April 2007 and began service to the public in January 2009. Airtel entered the market at a time when many questioned the need for a fifth mobile service provider. An Airtel executive recently told Econoff that the company did not anticipate actually receiving a license from the Government of Sri Lanka. Company executives agreed with the popular belief that the mobile communications market in Sri Lanka was already saturated. Despite this, Airtel forged forward with its business and by September 2009 Airtel had achieved 1.5 million customers. Airtel has developed its niche through marketing for its brand appeal and low prices, two Rupees per minute for a local call. Airtel,s prices are currently the lowest in the Sri Lankan mobile telecommunications sector. The standard demographic for Airtel are young customers attracted by the company's edgy marketing, and transfers from other providers which are attracted by lower costs. Despite low prices and robust marketing, Airtel admits it is struggling to become profitable. THE DYING FATHER OF THE MOBILE SECTOR ¶4. (U) The venerable player of the Sri Lankan mobile telecommunications sector is TIGO. TIGO currently has more than 2 million revenue earning customers and charges 3.6 Rupees per minute for a local call. In an effort to remain solvent, the company has resisted lowering its prices to the same levels as Airtel. In 2005, TIGO charged 10 Rupees per minute for local calls, so increased competition has rapidly reduced per minute calling rates. Although usage has steadily increased, the CEO of TIGO complained to Econoff that companies have over-saturated the market and that consumers look less at loyalty than rock-bottom calling rates. TIGO's CEO also commented that Sri Lanka is a three player market and even four mobile providers creates sector unprofitability. Based on recent unprofitability and seemingly low levels of cash reserves, TIGO has been forced to seek acquisition by another mobile provider. Two companies are currently on the short list of bidders: telecommunications giant Etilsilat and local competitor Airtel. A decision regarding which company TIGO will choose to be acquired by is expected in mid-October. An acquisition by Etilsilat will ensure that five mobile service providers COLOMBO 00000948 002 OF 002 remain in Sri Lanka, whereas an Airtel acquisition would likely result in four providers remaining. LACK OF COOPERATION IN THE MARKET ¶5. (U) The Sri Lankan free market model is still constrained because the five mobile providers often impede each other. In response to Airtel's entry into the market, TIGO and Dialog (the largest mobile provider) charged Airtel massive interconnection fees to use their towers, likely in response to Airtel's successful efforts to drive prices down for consumers and rapidly gain market share. Unlike in the United States, cell tower sharing is rare in Sri Lanka. Sharing is most common in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province and least common in the West and South of the country. TIGO shares towers in areas where government regulation makes new tower construction cost prohibitive. Overall, TIGO shares only about 30% of its towers, primarily in eastern Sri Lanka. Roaming is also an issue. Currently, mobile service providers do not allow interconnection on their networks to other providers. For example, if an Airtel customer travels to Trincomalee where the company has no service towers, the customer will be without reception because they cannot connect calls using Dialog, TIGO, or Mobitel towers. Regulation of the mobile sector by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission is largely ineffective, leaving oversight or self-policing in the hands of the mobile telecommunications sector itself. EXPANSION INTO NORTHERN SRI LANKA ¶6. (SBU) The Sri Lankan mobile telecommunications sector has requested permission from the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to expand their networks into the northern portion of the country following the May 2009 defeat of the LTTE. The GSL continues to evaluate where to begin mobile phone expansion as well as whether security can be maintained. The GSL has received bids from seven companies to begin work on a national broadband fiber network which should bring rapid telecommunications development to northern Sri Lanka. The contract will be awarded in January 2010 with phase 1 of the project lasting two years, and two additional phases lasting another four years. The World Bank is currently supporting this initiative with a US $12.5 million grant. Once completed, mobile service providers will be permitted to purchase bandwidth from the broadband network. Mobile service providers are currently unsure whether they will be permitted to build their own service towers in northern Sri Lanka. While all five mobile phone companies have submitted plans to build new service towers, the GSL is weighing whether to use a third party to construct towers and then sell portions of the towers off to each company once completed. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: Mobile telecommunication service expansion in Sri Lanka has benefited customers who only a few years ago had limited service options and were paying three or four times current rates for local calls. However, increased competition in the mobile sector seems to have over-saturated the market and led to unprofitability across the board. While various service providers complain about too many players in the market, existing market players and the GSL will need to become accustomed to increased competition and strike a balance when dealing with each other to ensure future profitability. End Comment. BUTENIS