In light of growing talk of a new divide that is emerging, this time a broadband divide, two indicators are beginning to assume greater importance: Internet users/100 and broadband subscriptions/100.
Not all Internet users have Facebook accounts, but all Facebook users are, by definition, Internet users. Some people may have multiple Facebook accounts, but not as many as those who have multiple SIMs. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the number of a country’s Internet Users exceeds the number of Facebook accounts from that country.
In October 2012, there were 1,448,160 Facebook accounts from Sri Lanka. So it would be safe to assume that the number of Internet users in Sri Lanka is higher than 1.4 million.
The Telecom Regulatory Commission reports there were 839,928 mobile broadband connections and 398,094 fixed broadband connections as of 2012 September. The total number of connections is 1,238,022. There is some double counting here, with the same people having fixed and mobile connections, but we can assume that the number of broadband connections is around 1.2 million.
The ITU figure of 12 Internet users/100 will yield a number in excess of 2.4 million (Sri Lanka’s population is slightly over 20 million). This meshes with LIRNEasia estimates based on correlations with HDI numbers.
So, bottom line is
Sri Lanka has 1.2 million broadband connections, as of September 2012 and 2.4 million plus Internet users (the ITU estimate was for 2011). Since Facebook is a personal application, we could estimate that there may be as many as 1.4 million broadband connections.
3 Comments
Jude
Most mobile Operators throw FREE data bundles for mobile 3G users to get them to use 3G. But most of these users never continue using. Most Operators struggle in there broad band penetration strategies. These subscribers only tryout the free bundle and forget about it. These users cannot be counted as continuous Broad Band users.
One reason for low Broad band penetration is the significant difference in Charges between Broadband over mobile and dongal (via a broad band only packages). Still broad band is a luxury for an average mobile user. TRC should look at this seriously if they want to grow the number.
Infas
Here is my latest analysis on Sri Lanka internet penetration and the mobile internet usage, hope this will be useful.
http://infasiqbal.com/rapid-growth-of-mobile-internet-usage-in-sri-lanka/
Missed opportunities in Philippine data governance
Even though the Constitution of the Philippines protects citizens’ right to access official records and research data used in policymaking, the absence of a comprehensive right-to-information law has left implementation subject to executive discretion. In a recent article published in InsiderPH on April 6, 2026, J.
Rethinking Sri Lanka’s Data Centre Hub Ambition
The idea of turning Sri Lanka into a regional data centre hub is an attractive one, particularly in the context of growing global demand for digital infrastructure and AI-driven services. However, it raises important economic questions, especially whether this is a viable and high-return investment strategy for a small, fiscally constrained economy like Sri Lanka.
Nepal’s digital crossroads: building a transparent data governance framework
Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in Republica on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, argues that while the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step, its impact will depend on whether it can move beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights.
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