“Sri Lanka’s leading mobile operator is creating a broadband revolution. By leveraging HSPA mobile broadband technology, it is bringing affordable access to all levels of society, from the wealthiest businesses to the poorest villages.”
Thus starts the GSMA case study on the Dialog mobile broadband. It is just four pages and in easily readable format – but still enough new stuff, that makes it a worthy read.
Selected extracts:
- Dialog estimates that the rural economy generates $350 million per month compared to $110 million in the urban economy.
- Dialog’s success lies in pioneering the low ARPU business model. Eighty-seven percent of the operator’s 5 million mobile customers are prepaid with an ARPU of less than US$4.
- In 2007, the expanding nationwide network was supercharged with HSPA, giving users access to the internet and
multimedia content at maximum downloads speeds of 1.8Mbps. This has subsequently been upgraded to 14.4Mbps. - Currently (Dialog is) evaluating HSPA Evolved to bring downloads to 42Mbps.
- Dialog has roughly 120,000 3G customers, around 30,000 of which connecting their laptops and desktops to the internet with HSPA modems and data cards.
The full paper can be downloaded from here.
Similar case stidies are available here.

5 Comments
Absent
Chanuka, the link to similar case studies doesn’t work it seems..
Chanuka Wattegama
Srry abt 404. crrctd nw.
Here it is again>
http://hspa.gsmworld.com/case-studies/default.asp
Chanux
Whose Broadband what :P
Sameera Wijerathna
Hi Chanuka
A good case study, thank you for making it available here.
Sameera.
http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com
Sameera Wijerathna
Chanuka
“Dialog estimates that the rural economy generates $350 million per month compared to $110 million in the urban economy.”
I am not sure about the statement.
Sameera.
http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com
LIRNEasia is hiring: Communications Assistant
LIRNEasia is looking for a talented individual to join the team as a Communications Assistant. The full job description is available below.
Pakistan’s AI ambitions require strong data governance
Pakistan’s Indus AI Week reflects a growing shift in how the country is approaching artificial intelligence, not simply as a technological trend, but as a strategic tool for economic growth, public sector reform, and national competitiveness. In an article published on March 5, 2026, in the ProPakistani news platform, Muhammad Aslam Hayat, Senior Policy Fellow at LIRNEasia, notes that discussions during the event highlighted ambitions to use AI to improve productivity, create new economic opportunities, and enhance government efficiency.
Advancing Electricity Reforms in Sri Lanka
Efforts to reform Sri Lanka’s electricity industry have been ongoing since the late 1990s, but little progress has been made. In the aftermath of the economic crisis, the removal of distortions affecting the industry and the creation of conditions for economic growth were seen as necessitating significant reform.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
9A 1/1, Balcombe Place
Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2026 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific