Q: What are Sri Lanka Telecom’s (SLT) priorities?

A: As Sri Lanka’s fixed line operator and national ICT solutions provider, SLT’s priority is connecting every home, business, school, hospital and government institution, and creating value by offering products and solutions to fulfil daily requirements and business needs.

We aim to demonstrate our position as a crucial strategic partner of the government by providing key network, data centre and cloud infrastructure, and tailor-made products and solutions.

SLT’s aggressive fibre network expansion programme has two key milestones: develop one million ports by 2020 and two million by 2022. We believe this will break barriers by delivering reliable high-speed and high-performance internet services.

Additionally, we developed a wireless network using 4G and 5G technologies with SLT’s mobile arm Mobitel.

And we’re creating fixed and mobile broadband products using wireless technologies that can penetrate borders.

SLT is on a digital journey by transforming itself into a digital service provider. We need to build a digital services stack with products and solutions, while creating digital channels and interfaces, and online shopping options.

We’re also focussing on fintech to connect banks, businesses and citizens, to create visibility for financial institutions to support the business community and society. Many of these solutions are hosted in our state-of-the-art data centres such as the Tier III data centre at Pitipana and Akaza cloud platform. 

Q: So what are SLT’s expansion plans?

A: The digital product stack will enable us to push digital services to consumers, SMEs, government and enterprises. SLT’s strategy involves collaborating with industry leaders such as Deloitte, Huawei, ZTE, Nokia, Cisco Systems, IBM, AsiaInfo Technologies and others.

We’re also working with fintech solutions partners to establish infrastructure to facilitate online transactions.

SLT is initiating a multi-cloud strategy with global peering through platforms such as Citrix Cloud, Microsoft Azure, VMware Cloud Provider Program (VCPP), Oracle BCP, Huawei FusionSphere and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

SLT’s footprint will expand with our new global brand Xyntac, offering connectivity, VPN, wholesale data and voice services in the global market.

This involves a twofold strategy: focussing on global marketplaces such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe and North America; and evolving Asia-Pacific markets like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. 


Q: What are the group’s ongoing projects?

A: Projects are largely classified under digital projects triggered by digital initiatives and SLT’s transformation, and infrastructure development projects.

Digital projects can be related to new products, developments or services. They may also be strategic – i.e. smart and safe city initiatives, national e-commerce platforms and industry specific initiatives in line with the National Digital Roadmap (NDR).

Digital transformation requires modernising SLT’s internal network and systems. To be a digital service provider, fast, efficient and agile architecture is needed. This enables service provisioning and assurance, and product onboarding in an automated environment focussed on superior customer experience.

We plan to revamp core IT systems such as our operating support system, billing subsystem and so on. Having set up new ERP and CRM systems, SLT continuously improves its customer service and experience. These platforms will be incorporated into a service oriented architecture with an open API gateway to share data to devise new business models.

Through big data, IoT strategies and other NDR aligned initiatives, new data models can be integrated with key national initiatives so that data can be shared in a controllable and secure manner to benefit society.

We aim to develop a fully automated operating environment to address customer experience, product onboarding, and service fulfilment and assurance in a few clicks. Essentially, we’ll introduce a digital culture. 

Q: How is SLT’s staff contributing to Sri Lanka’s digital transformation?

A: SLT is taking a leadership role in this transformation with the NDR.

But all stakeholders must actively participate to ensure its success.

A different mindset is needed; we call this ‘digital first.’ With the ‘Limitless You’ programme to explore limitless opportunities and capabilities, we’ll engage employees, customers and citizens to create a digitally inclusive society. We will engage employees, through whom we can take this concept to customers and citizens who engage with us.

For the country to transform, this can’t be limited to our customers. Citizen services can facilitate the provision of e-government services through a one stop shop such as SLT’s Digital Life Hub, helping us drive a smart Sri Lanka.

By bringing services under NDR’s 17 pillars and one stack, Sri Lanka’s digital transformation will be nearly complete.

A. Kiththi Perera
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone 2021000
Email pr@slt.lk
Website www.slt.lk