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Lanka Bell’s novice Toastmasters excel at cricket!

Lanka Bell, a company that facilitates the communication of more than 1.2 million Sri Lankan offices and homes, is now providing its employees an opportunity to master their communication and leadership skills, by becoming the latest Sri Lankan company to form its own Toastmasters Club.

Some 27 Lanka Bell Toastmasters now meet every second and fourth Wednesday of the month to learn and practice making impromptu speeches, ice breaker speeches and prepared speeches with a view to honing their communication skills.

Barely a month after it was formed and registered with Toastmasters International, the Lanka Bell Toastmasters Club demonstrated skills in another area as well, by emerging champions at a six-a-side cricket tournament organized by Toastmasters Divisions A and H. In all, 32 local Toastmasters Clubs participated in the tournament. The Lanka Bell Club belongs to Division H.

“The Lanka Bell Toastmaster’s Club enjoys the full support of the management because it will help personal development and grooming and build leadership skills,” said Prasad Samarasinghe, the company’s Managing Director.

Membership in the club is growing and represents various departments of the company and includes individuals from senior management to customer service agents. At their fortnightly meetings, these Toastmasters also receive valuable tips from senior Toastmasters and guests from other clubs to help in evaluations and conducting club meetings.

From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people to become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 205 countries. Participants at Toastmasters meetings practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as Toastmaster, timer, evaluator or grammarian.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with 1.2 million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka.

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HDFC joins Lanka Bell payment network



Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and HDFC CEO and General Manager Suresh Amerasekara
exchange the partnership agreement.

Top telecommunication solutions provider Lanka Bell’s island-wide bill settlement network has grown by another 24 outlets with the company’s new partnership with HDFC Bank.

Lanka Bell bills can now be settled at any HDFC branch island-wide. Payments can be made by cash or cheque, the company said.

HDFC Bank plans to open four more branches in Vavunia, Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee within the next three months.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 14 other banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank, DFCC Vardhana Bank, PABC Bank, Union Bank as well as 350 plus outlets of Singer Sri Lanka and 250 plus outlets of Abans.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with 1.2 million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka.

In the picture Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and HDFC CEO and General Manager Suresh Amerasekara exchange the partnership agreement.

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Lanka Bell offers multi-party Call Conferencing

Top telecommunication solutions provider Lanka Bell has introduced another value-added feature for its subscribers, enabling them to conduct a virtual meeting with people anywhere in the world via a new call conference facility.

Users of any type of phone or network and even people using internet call applications can be brought into the conference call, the company announced this week.

Commenting, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: “With the introduction of this new feature, a Lanka Bell phone can become an important business tool that helps organizations to increase efficiency, improve productivity and reduce communication costs.”

“For example this facility will enable organizations to conduct their weekly meetings via a teleconference, saving time and other costs. Communication between multiple branches of an organisation can also happen faster and more effectively,” he added.

He pointed out that connecting with people overseas for a conference call via this new facility is cost effective in many ways. “Lanka Bell’s IDD calling rates are among the lowest in the island and we also offer a value added service that pays back subscribers 50 cents for every minute of incoming IDD calls,” he pointed out.

He said that the call conference facility is not only limited to business subscribers but can also be used by home subscribers to be in touch with loved ones who are living in different parts of Sri Lanka or the world. “It will provide an easy way for them to plan trips, family events and even weddings,” he pointed out.

Application forms to register for this service will be available at Lanka Bell business offices. After registration the company will activate the facility and the subscribers will be given user IDs and Personal Identification Numbers that allow them to make conference calls, the company said.

The new facility allows the subscriber who initiates the conference call to have total control of the conference after it starts. He or she can schedule the conference, add or remove participants, hold or un hold them, lock or extend the conference and use the coaching mode.

The system also has facilities to record the conference and email it and also to send a summary and details of the call.

Two types of Conference Calls are possible with the new feature. The first is the ‘Dial In Conference’ in which the person who initiates the call gets to schedule the conference and all participants can log on to it using the User ID and PIN. The second option is the ‘Dial Out Conference’ which allows a subscriber to schedule a conference call and the Lanka Bell system will dial out to all participants automatically.

The calling costs for out going calls will be added to the monthly phone bill of the subscriber who initiates the conference call and there will be no charges for the incoming calls, the company said.

Lanka Bell subscribers enjoy many other value added features including Business Messages Service (BMS), that offers updates on local and international news as well as exchange rates and Fun Messages Service (FMS), that offers updates on entertainment and sports news and horoscopes, “BellTunez”, a caller ring back tones service and ‘Bell Voice SMS’, a facility that enables subscribers to record and send voice messages.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with 1.2 million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in the country. Lanka Bell has invested more than Rs 6 billion to date in its operations in Sri Lanka.

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Lanka Bell renovates OPD at Lady Ridgeway hospital

Children seeking treatment at the OPD of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital will now be greeted by a brighter atmosphere thanks to a CSR project by Lanka Bell, one of the country’s leading telecommunications solutions providers.

The new project included tiling and painting the corridors of the OPD, the reception area and three rooms of the hospital with funds contributed by employees to the Lanka Bell Sports Club.

The company also contributed to install a pay phone in the waiting area on the first floor and also provided ‘sign posting’ to the consultation rooms and clinics of the OPD.

Alongside this initiative, Lanka Bell organised a blood donation campaign at which employees donated blood to the hospital’s blood bank.

Commenting on this project, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: “As a 100 per cent local company we are always happy to contribute to the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan community. This is one of many community projects that we have launched with the support of our employees.”

“This effort has resulted in a pleasant environment for the children and the parents or guardians who accompany them,” he added.

As a part of a CSR project launched by the company last year, Lanka Bell funded the air conditioning of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Employees also participated in a ‘Shramadana’ to clean and paint parts of the hospital.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with 1.2 million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in the country. The company continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka and has 60 of its very own fully fledged business offices island-wide.

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Lanka Bell rings in Jaffna

Lanka Bell has launched a base station in Jaffna providing the community in the peninsula access to the country’s largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ service.

A new Lanka Bell business office located at No. 303, Kankesanehurai Road in Jaffna will offer phones and phone accessories, bill settlement, provide technical assistance and customer service.

Commenting, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: “A high quality and purse-easy telecommunication service is an essential need of the people in Jaffna. There are thousands of people who would want to be in touch with the loved ones in other parts of the country or overseas as well as with displaced relatives.”

He said that Lanka Bell will provide them fast and clear connectivity for local and IDD phone calls and also offer seamless broadband services.

“As the country’s only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned telephone company, we consider it our duty to serve people in all the parts of the island including north and east,” he said.

Mr. Samarasinghe added that the free internet connectivity on Lanka Bell CDMA and dial-up connections will be useful for individual subscribers as well as the business community in Jaffna.

Lanka Bell’s ‘Dial 15’ service that offers the lowest for IDD rates in the country, would be particularly welcome in Jaffna, he said. To use this feature, subscribers only have to dial the prefix 15, the International Access Code (00) the country code and the area code followed by the telephone number.

Lanka Bell recently slashed IDD calling rates to seven countries enabling subscribers to make calls to India, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and USA for just Rs. 7 per minute.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with 1.2 million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in the country. The company continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka and has 60 of its very own fully fledged business offices island-wide.

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Lanka Bell ties up with Union Bank for bill settlement



Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and Acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Union Bank Nilanth de Silva exchange the partnership agreement.

Top telecommunications solutions provider Lanka Bell’s bill settlement network has grown further with the company’s new partnership with Union Bank Sri Lanka.

Lanka Bell subscribers will now be able to settle their monthly payment bills at any Union Bank branch island-wide and the money will be credited to the subscriber’s account on the same day, the company said.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 13 other banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank, DFCC Vardhana Bank, PABC Bank, as well as 350 plus outlets of Singer Sri Lanka and 250 plus outlets of Abans.

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Abans joins Lanka Bell bill settlement network



Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and Abans Director Behman Pestonjee exchange the partnership agreement.

Top telecommunications solutions provider Lanka Bell has added the extensive branch network of Abans Ltd., to the company’s bill settlement network, expanding it by more than 250 outlets.

Lanka Bell post paid subscribers can now settle their monthly bills and pre-paid subscribers can recharge their accounts at any of the 231 Abans branches island-wide and also at any of the 30 branches of ‘A-Z Electronics’, from the 1st of June onwards.

Payments can be made by cash or credit cards at any of these branches, the company said.

Commenting on the partnership, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: “We are happy to tie up with Abans which has its branch network in all nine provinces in the country. This will bring greater convenience to our subscriber base of over a million by offering more outlets to settle their bills at locations closer to their homes or offices.”

He said the new partnership will increase the size of Lanka Bell’s bill settlement network to more than 2500 outlets.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 13 banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank, DFCC Vardhana Bank and PABC Bank as well as Singer Sri Lanka outlets.

Earlier this year, the company partnered with Nations Trust Bank PLC to facilitate online card payments for all Lanka Bell bills.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka and has 60 of its very own fully fledged business offices island-wide.

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Standard Chartered Bank Signs up with Lanka Bell for Credit Card Payments



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Pay Lanka Bell bills online with American Express



Captured during the formal signing agreement, from Left to Right Kapila Bandara- Chief Manager Alternate Channels and Mr. M.T.M Rusthum- Head of Credit Control & Collection, Lanka Bell

Lanka Bell, a world-class local telecommunications operator that provides a full range of telecommunication services to businesses and residential customers in Sri Lanka, announced the partnership with Nations Trust Bank in facilitating online card payments for all Lanka Bell bills, through their web portal www.lankabell.com. American Express, the Credit Card acquired and issued in Sri Lanka solely by Nations Trust Bank PLC has a very vast recognition in the island as a highly valued personal and a corporate credit card.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 12 other banks, including the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Pan Asia Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank and DFCC Vardhana Bank as well as 350 plus Singer Sri Lanka outlets.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka and has 60 of its very own fully fledged business offices Island wide.

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Lanka Bell felicitates top performers



The joint winners of the Lanka Bell ‘Employee of the Year Award’
Anuruddhika Dissanayake and Ajantha Caldera (extreme right)
with Lanka Bell Chairman Harry Jayawardena (Second from left)
and the company’s Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe ( extreme left).

Top telecommunications solutions provider Lanka Bell has felicitated staff members whose service performance has contributed to the rapid expansion and growth of the company.

The company awarded 12 main awards and 49 Service Excellence Awards at ‘One Awards’, the annual employee awards night ceremony. This year’s theme was ‘Thunder and Lightening’ which depicted Energy, Dynamism and Excellence, the three forces that operate in the organization.

Addressing the event Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe gratefully acknowledged the valuable work done by award winners whose support played a key role in the company’s achievement of a number of important milestones during the year.

He said the company had exceeded one million CDMA subscribers this year and had fully deployed the benefits from connecting with the FLAG undersea fibre optic cable network, and introduced many value added features including paying subscribers for the overseas calls they receive on their Lanka Bell phones.

With its investment in FLAG, the company has emerged as a major enterprise solutions provider, opening up many opportunities for growth in voice and data solutions to a wide range of businesses.

The most important award at the ceremony, ‘Employee of the Year Award’ was shared by Anuruddhika Dissanayake from the ‘Switching and Planning Department’ and Ajantha Caldera from the Lanka Bell National Sales Department. The awards were presented to the winners by Lanka Bell Chairman Harry Jayawardena and the company’s Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe.

The main awards included IT person of the year, Technical person of the year - Operations, Technical person of the year - Switching and Planning, Collector of the year, Customer Care Person of the year – BPO, Customer Care Person of the year – Cluster, Sales Person of the year – Residential, Sales Person of the year – Corporate, Support Services Person of the year and Manager of the year.

The award night included stunning western and eastern entertainment acts and concluded with a gala dinner dance. In addition, prizes such as laptops, refrigerators and TVs were given away to the staff members at a grand raffle draw.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka.

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PABC joins Lanka Bell payment network



Picture shows Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (right) and
Managing Director and CEO of Pan Asia Banking Corporation Mrs. Kimarli Fernando exchanging the agreement on the new partnership.

Top telecommunications solutions provider Lanka Bell’s island-wide bill settlement network has grown by 31 outlets with the company’s new partnership with Pan Asia Banking Corporation (PABC).

Lanka Bell bills can now be settled at any of the PABC branches and the money will be credited to the subscriber’s account.

Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said that the company is happy to welcome a vibrant and growing partner in Pan Asia Bank to its payment network. “Even as we evolve as a major Enterprise Solutions Provider, we are committed to enhance convenience for our voice telephony subscribers by expanding the bill settlement network”, he said.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 12 other banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank, NDB Bank and DFCC Vardhana Bank as well as 350 plus  Singer Sri Lanka outlets.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest "fixed line" provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka.

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Lanka Bell creates telecom history with incoming IDD payback



Every incoming overseas call to earn subscribers credit in grand gesture by telecom giant

Colombo, Wednesday, October 29, 2008: More than a million Sri Lankan homes and offices connected to the world via Lanka Bell learnt of a wholly unexpected bonanza this week when the telecommunications giant announced it would pay them for every overseas call they receive on their Lanka Bell phones.

Effective immediately, every incoming IDD call on a Lanka Bell phone will earn its user 50 cents for every minute of the call, regardless of its duration, country of origin or how many calls are received for a day, the company announced.

This unique bonanza, believed to represent the first occasion in this country that a service provider has paid its customers for using a utility, could result in some subscribers earning as much as Rs 1500 a month on incoming IDD calls, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe told a news conference.

Describing this payback as a ‘passing on’ of the benefits of the company’s Rs 3 billion investment to connect Sri Lanka to the FLAG undersea fibre optic cable network, Mr. Samarasinghe said the monies earned would be credited to phone balances in the case of prepaid connections, or set against the monthly bills of post-paid connections, resulting in substantial savings to the one million plus subscriber base of Lanka Bell.

“It’s payback time,” Mr. Samarasinghe declared, “but who would have imagined that these words would bring smiles to the faces of those hearing it?” He explained that the rationalé behind the move was to show the average Sri Lankan phone user how being connected via Lanka Bell to FLAG, the world’s largest terabit fibre optic undersea cable system, could make a tangible difference in their lives. “The first step was an across-the-board reduction in tariffs for outgoing IDD calls that has resulted in Lanka Bell offering the lowest IDD rate of seven Rupees a minute,” Mr. Samarasinghe said. “Now, incoming IDD calls, which have always been free, will actually help reduce usage costs further.”

An analysis of usage of Lanka Bell phones has shown that in some instances, the money earned from incoming IDD calls would wipe out the subscriber’s outgoing call bill completely, enabling him or her to enjoy a completely free service, he disclosed. Corporate users would also benefit substantially by making Lanka Bell their choice for incoming IDD calls, Mr. Samarasinghe said. “Our initial decision to partner with Reliance Globalcom to extend the FLAG cable to Sri Lanka connecting 66 pops in the world was largely a patriotic response to a national need for unrestricted broadband access,” he added. “This epitomised the ‘Sri Lankan-ness’ of Lanka Bell, a distinctive characteristic which spurred our growth from 50,000 subscribers three and a half years ago to the one million plus of today. We believe the benefits that flow from the FLAG cable must reach the masses of our country.”

The global FLAG network comprising of 66 Landing Stations in more than 50 countries has the highest PoP (Point of Presence) in the world. The cable enables crystal clear international connectivity around the globe, linking key business markets of the world. Spanning 65,000 kilometres, the cable network provides a robust Global Service Delivery Platform connecting 37 key business markets in India, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the U.S. through an overlay low-latency, global MPLS-based IP network. The cable’s owner Reliance Globalcom is a division of Reliance Communications and spearheads the Global Telecom operations of India’s largest Integrated Telecom Service Provider.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell continues to make substantial investments to take its technology and services to all geographic regions and all segments of the market in Sri Lanka.

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DFCC Vardhana Bank joins Lanka Bell payment network



Picture shows Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (right) and Managing Director and CEO of DFCC Vardhana Bank Ltd. L G Perera exchanging the agreement on the new partnership.

Another 40 payment points have been added to telecommunications giant Lanka Bell’s island-wide bill settlement network, with the company’s new partnership with DFCC Vardhana Bank Ltd.

Lanka Bell bills can now be settled at any of the DFCC Bank’s branches and the money will be credited to the subscriber’s account on the same day.

Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said the arrangement with DFCC Vardhana Bank demonstrates Lanka Bell’s commitment to continuously enhance convenience for subscribers. “We welcome DFCC Bank to our network and a grateful for their support,” he said.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 11 banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank and NDB Bank as well as 350 plus Singer Sri Lanka outlets.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers.

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Lanka Bell ties up with Singer to enhance bill settlement network



Picture shows Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe (left) and Chairman of Singer Sri Lanka Mr. Hemaka Amarasuriya exchanging the agreement on the new partnership.

The extensive island-wide branch network of Singer Sri Lanka has joined the bill payment network of telecommunications giant Lanka Bell, further strengthening the partnership between the two companies.

Cash or Credit Card payments made to any of 350 Singer outlets will now be credited to Lanka Bell subscribers’ accounts, the company announced this week. The new arrangement will result in Lanka Bell’s bill settlement network growing to more than 2200 outlets.

Commenting, Lanka Bell Managing Director Prasad Samarasinghe said: “We are happy to tie up with Singer Sri Lanka to offer greater convenience to our fast growing customer base islandwide. We are confident that this will help many of them to save time by providing a bill settlement location close to their homes or offices.

Singer Sri Lanka already retails Lanka Bell connections and offers easy payment schemes to purchase them.

Lanka Bell also offers bill settlement through the branch networks of 11 banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Peoples Bank, HSBC, Nations Trust Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Seylan Bank, National Savings Bank and NDB Bank.

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest ‘fixed line’ provider in the country with more than a million subscribers.

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Mega brands Lanka Bell and Maliban in ICT partnership

Maliban, one of Sri Lanka's enduring mega-brands and Lanka Bell, the wholly Sri Lankan telecommunications giant have come together in a partnership that has resulted in the renowned confectioner acquiring the latest in enterprise business solutions for its communications needs.

Lanka Bell has linked the Maliban Head Office complex and the company's dealer network island-wide via a seamless integrated telecommunications solution.

Comprising of advanced E1 technology and CDMA connectivity meshed with sophisticated PABX infrastructure with Direct Inward Dialling, the solution enables Maliban to conduct all its voice communications across the company's network of 85 main distributors at zero cost, bringing about a new dimension in communications efficiency.

Consequent to the acquisition of the new solution, Maliban is connected via Lanka Bell on numbers 5555000 (general) and 5555111 (hotline).

Commenting on the partnership between the two companies, Lanka Bell's General Manager Enterprise & International Business Mansoor Rishad said: "This is just one example of the kind of quantum change that can be achieved in the way companies do business by adopting the latest in integrated communications solutions that Lanka Bell has to offer. Maliban and Lanka Bell are two local brands that have achieved world class quality and leadership in their respective fields. We are truly committed to this partnership and serving the needs of Maliban by exposing Maliban to the latest in technology and cost effective solutions."

Maliban Chairman and Managing Director A.G.R. Samaraweera said: "Lanka Bell has evolved into a dynamic enterprise solutions provider with access to expertise and products that are truly cutting edge. We look forward to working with Lanka Bell to maximise the benefits and cost efficiencies made possible by the communications solution provided to our company."

The only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest 'fixed line' provider in the country with around one million subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and introduced CDMA technology to Sri Lanka in May 2005 changing the country's telecommunication landscape by connecting the remotest of villages in record time. The company has invested more than Rs 6 billion to date in its operations in Sri Lanka. In it latest initiative, Lanka Bell has linked Sri Lanka to the 1.2 Terabit FLAG global undersea fibre optic cable system at a cost of US $ 27 million enabling the company to offer a wide range of enterprise solutions to Sri Lanka's corporate sector.

As a result of FLAG, Lanka Bell now offers international solutions without parallel in the local market, Mr. Rishad said, adding that "With virtually unlimited internet capacity, Lanka Bell is ready to serve the corporate sector with enterprise grade dedicated internet solutions of up to 100Mbps or more."

He said International Private Leased Circuits (IPLCs) made possible through over 66 PoPs across the globe facilitate connecting with international branches, suppliers and business partners. Quality international voice (IDD) to any country in the world also enables clear communication for smooth business operations.

In keeping with Lanka Bell's commitment to investing in technology to provide up to date cost effective solutions, the company has invested in a WiMAX data network which is now in its second phase of expansion as a result of demand. This enables the delivery of a multitude of services such as BellBroadband, dedicated internet, IP-VPNs and much more.

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Bell Broadband to open up new vistas via high speed Internet

Telecom giant Lanka Bell offers latest WiMax connectivity to offices and homes across Sri Lanka

Telecom giant Lanka Bell has launched wireless broadband access for enterprise and home users, offering Internet connectivity at speeds of up to 10 Megabits per second and taking the company's product offering to a new dimension of sophistication.

Three new broadband internet packages unveiled by the Sri Lanka's second largest 'fixed-line' operator offer homes and offices instant high speed connectivity directly to their computers, relegating dial-up internet to history.

The standard Bell Broadband connection costs just Rs 10,000 for all user categories and offers unlimited downloads for as little as Rs 2000 a month for Residential users (at 512 kbps throughput), or Rs 3,000 and 5,500 a month for office users who require connection speeds of 1 mbps and 2 mbps respectively.

The three packages, Bell Broadband Home, Bell Broadband Office and Bell Broadband Office Plus are expected to significantly widen internet access across the country, making downloading of video clips, movies, music, and educational material as well as on-line gaming and chat affordable to a larger segment of the populace, the company said.

Enterprise clients who require multiple users to be provided high speed internet access via a single Bell Broadband connection, are also catered to with equipment that offers even higher throughput than the standard broadband connections.

"The launch of Bell Broadband represents an important milestone in the evolution of Lanka Bell as a total solutions provider to enterprise and residential users," said Prasad Samarasinghe, the company's Managing Director. "Broadband access opens up a whole new world of possibilities that drive business growth through better information management, better service delivery and greater speed and convenience for customers. For home users it could be a great aid to education and social interaction."

Made possible by Lanka Bell's sophisticated WiMax wireless connectivity capabilities, Bell Broadband will be extended to all areas where coverage is available, he said. "As the only wholly Sri Lankan owned telecommunications company in the country, Lanka Bell is committed to take the latest technology and services to rural areas whose potential could be unleashed with such technology," Mr. Samarasinghe said.

The pioneer in Sri Lanka of CDMA technology and as a consequence, the concept of over-the-counter 'fixed line' connections, Lanka Bell now has a subscriber base of nearly one million. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and has to date invested more than Rs 6 billion in its operations in Sri Lanka

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Lanka Bell Sponsors 13th Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the year Awards



Managing Director of Lanka Bell Prasad Samarasingha handing over the sponsorship agreement to Nawaz Rajabdeen – President of the FCCISL at the launch event.

Lanka Bell - the Truly Sri Lankan Telecommunication Service provider will be the strategic partner for the 13th Annual Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the year Awards programe that is organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL).

This programe is held to recognize and reward the country's most outstanding entrepreneurs at both Provincial & National level for their invaluable contribution towards the Socio Economic development of the country.

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Lanka Bell wins "Management Team of the Year" Award



Palitha Konara - Manager Audit and Compliance of Lanka Bell (extreme left) receiving the "Management Team of the Year" award from Melani Kanaka - Council Member CIMA. Bradley Emerson - CEO of CIMA is also in the picture.

Lanka Bell, the country's leading CDMA operator carried away the "Management Team of the Year" Award at the recent CIMA Pinnacle Awards Ceremony.

Competing against some of the leading corporate entities in Sri Lanka, the Lanka Bell team demonstrated its managerial aptitude by running a virtual company for five quarters in a simulated business environment and achieved the best results in cumulative earnings per share at the end of the fifth quarter.

The two-day long competition was conducted via a computer program developed for the purpose.

Commenting on this achievement Mr. Prasad Samarasinghe, Managing Director of Lanka Bell said, "This award is a proof of the talent and capacity of Lanka Bell staff and we are proud of the winning team which competed against some of the Sri Lanka's leading companies."

In the competition, Palitha Konara, Manager for Audit and Compliance at Lanka Bell played the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sachintha Dharmasena, Manager for Value Added Services was the Chief Operations Officer (COO), Priyantha Ranasinghe, Manager for Dealer Channels was the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Irangi Fernando, the Accountant for Revenue Assurance played the role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Last year, Lanka Bell achieved excellent results at the National Best Quality Software Awards hosted by the Sri Lanka Chapter of the British Computer Society (BCS) which brought the company an opportunity to participate at the seventh international Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) in Singapore.

The leading CDMA operator in Sri Lanka with a subscriber base of more than 800,000, Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell is the only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the local telecommunications sector. Among the company's key strengths have been its strategic partnerships for retailing of its products and services as well as for customer service. Lanka Bell CDMA connections are sold through 62 branch offices and over 350 Singer retail outlets which offer customers more affordable financial options to purchase phones.

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Prasad Samarasignhe new MD of Lanka Bell

CDMA market leader Lanka Bell has announced the appointment of Mr. Prasad Samarasinghe as Managing Director of the company with effect from 7th April 2008.

Mr. Samarasinghe has been a Director of Lanka Bell since 2005.

He possesses a BSc (Hons) and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Moratuwa and was formerly the Chief Operating Officer (Support Services) of Sri Lanka Insurance and Head of IT at Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC. He has over ten years of experience in the IT and communications industries and is also a Director of e-Channeling Ltd.

Announcing his appointment as Managing Director, the company said Mr. Samarasinghe will spearhead the technical operations of Lanka Bell together with all other operational and administrative areas.

Commenting on his new role at the helm of the country's second largest 'fixed-line' service provider, Mr. Samarasinghe said: "Sri Lanka's telecommunications industry is in an exciting phase of growth and evolution. With the convergence of communications, IT and entertainment, the functional possibilities seem endless, and I look forward to the challenge of keeping Lanka Bell abreast of all the new developments and ahead of the competition."

"We have a highly trained and committed staff fully capable of delivering the highest standards of service, innovation and value to our rapidly growing subscriber base," he added.

The leading CDMA operator in Sri Lanka with a subscriber base of more than 800,000, Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was he pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell is the only wholly Sri Lankan owned company in the local telecommunications sector. Among the company's key strengths have been its strategic partnerships for retailing of its products and services as well as for customer service. Lanka Bell CDMA connections are sold through 62 branch offices and over 350 Singer retail outlets which offer customers more affordable financial options to purchase phones.

In partnership with FLAG Telecom, a subsidiary of India's Reliance Communications Lanka Bell has invested US$ 27 million in an undersea cable project that will result in high speed data and internet access and far superior quality IDD facilities to thousands of customers all over the country. It will link key business markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and USA, to Sri Lanka and enable Lanka Bell to offer direct global connectivity and a complete end-to-end solution via FLAG Telecom's Global cable system, which is the first terabit private undersea cable system to land in Sri Lanka.

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Now, news updates on Lanka Bell CDMA phones

News updates on politics, defence, finance and sports through latest value addition by CDMA leader

Subscribers of CDMA leader Lanka Bell can now keep abreast of important happenings in Sri Lanka and around the world with the launch of a News Alert Service, the first of its kind among local CDMA service providers.

The 24 hours a day service will cover the latest political, defence, finance and sports news and can be activated by subscription, the company announced this week.

The service promises a minimum of two news alerts per day and will be available to customers using both pre paid and post paid connections.

Lanka Bell customers can register for this service by sending an SMS with the words 'REG NEWS' to 0115755755.

"This is a convenient way to keep track of the latest news, while at work, home or anywhere in the country where there is a Lanka Bell CDMA phone," said Lanka Bell Senior General Manager Roshani Cooray. "We are proud to be the first CDMA operator in Sri Lanka to introduce a news alert service to our customers."

He said this latest value addition was the result of continuous efforts by Lanka Bell's award - winning IT team to expand the scope of company's service offering via CDMA.

Last year, Lanka Bell became the first 'fixed-line' telecommunications company in Sri Lanka to introduce value added services such as 'Bell Voice SMS' a voice-based short messaging service that enables owners of Lanka Bell CDMA phones to record send voice messages to any network, fixed or mobile, BMS (Business Message Service) and FMS (Fun Message Service), which allowusers to receive a wide range of real time business and fun information via SMS on request and 'Bell Tunes' which enable subscribers to store favourite tunes on their Lanka Bell phones for the listening pleasure of their callers.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. The company is now the second largest fixed line telecommunications company in the country, with more than 800,000 lines.

Among the company's key strengths have been its strategic partnerships for retailing of its products and services as well as for customer service. Lanka Bell CDMA connections are sold through 62 branch offices and over 350 Singer retail outlets which offer customers affordable financial options to purchase phones.

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Lanka Bell relocates its offices in Trincomalee and Batticaloa

The Trincomalee and Batticaloa business offices of Lanka Bell, the country's leading CDMA operator, have been relocated to their own buildings to better serve the company's expanding customer base in these areas.

The new business office in Trinomalee is located at the Main Street, Trincomalee while the Batticaloa office is at Station Road, Batticaloa.

Lanka Bell's presence now stands at 62 business offices in 22 districts. The company's phones are also sold through 350 retail outlets of Singer Sri Lanka.

Two new business offices will provide customers in Trincomalee and Batticaloa with more convenient access to Lanka Bell's services, technical assistance and bill settlement.

Commenting on the relocation of the new offices, Lanka Bell Managing Director Suren Goonewardene said: "As a wholly Sri Lankan owned company, all parts of the country are important to us at Lanka Bell. The relocation of our outlets to more specious premises shows our commitment to provide better services to our customers in these areas".

Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. The company is now the second largest fixed line telecommunications company in the country, with more than 750,000 lines.

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Lanka Bell renovates the NICU at Lady Ridgeway

Infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital will now receive treatment in a more comfortable atmosphere thanks to a CSR initiative launched last week by Lanka Bell, the country's leading CDMA operator.

The company funded the air conditioning of the NICU with monies contributed by employees to the Lanka Bell Sports Club.

Lanka Bell employees also participated in a 'Shramadana' to clean and paint the waiting room, mother's area, isolation area, lecture hall and the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of NICU as part of this project.

The company has also introduced a scheme to assist low income patients who cannot afford to buy their medicines from outside when hospital stocks run out. The scheme will be managed by the hospital.

Adding value to these projects, a blood donation campaign was held for Lanka Bell employees to donate blood for the hospital's blood bank.

"We are happy to support the country's premier children's hospital to improve its facilities", said Lanka Bell Managing Director Suren Goonewardene. "As the only 100 percent Sri Lankan owned telecommunication company Lanka Bell is committed to contribute to the wellbeing of the community and children's welfare is a priority".

Channa Soysa, President of Lanka Bell Sports Club for 2007-08 together with directors and senior management of the company presented the Air Conditioning units to Dr. Sri Lal De Silva, Consultant Pediatrician in charge of the NICU.

The leading CDMA operator in Sri Lanka with a subscriber base of 750,000, Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Among the company's key strengths have been its strategic partnerships for retailing of its products and services as well as for customer service. Lanka Bell CDMA connections are sold through 62 branch offices and over 350 Singer Sri Lanka outlets offering customers more affordable financial options to purchase phones.

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Lanka Bell hits the streets with colourful mobile office



The Lanka Bell mobile office at an event in Nittambuwa.

Pioneer CDMA operator Lanka Bell has introduced a striking mobile office cum sales unit to take the company's services and its message across the country.

A converted bus offers the same facilities of a Lanka Bell branch office and will also be used for town storming to create awareness of new branch openings.

It will also be used at Lanka Bell sponsored outdoor events and promotions.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA operator in Sri Lanka with a subscriber base of 750,000.

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Gifts for tsunami-affected children from Lanka Bell's Vikasitha Kekulu


Smiles were brought to the faces of the children in the Sirikandurawatte, Hikkaduwa Tsunami village when Sri Lanka's CDMA leader Lanka Bell distributed gift packs among them through the company's Vikasitha Kekulu children's project, recently.

Toys, school items and stationery were included in the gift packs which were distributed by company staff. The staff spent a full day with the children and participated in activities to cheer them up.

These included entertainment acts such as magic shows, sing-along sessions and dance acts by popular TV and radio personalities. More than 2500 adults and children participated in this event and expressed their appreciation of the effort made by Lanka Bell on their behalf.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest 'fixed line' provider in the local telecommunications sector with nearly 800,000 subscribers. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell has invested more than Rs 6 billion in its operations.

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Rapid expansion takes Lanka Bell network to 60


Lanka Bell's Divisional Manager - Credit & Collection Mr. Mohamed Rusthum conducts the first transaction at the Siyabalanduwa branch.

CDMA market leader Lanka Bell has added seven new business offices to its islandwide network in the months of November and December extending its services to some of the most remote areas of the country.

The new business offices are located in rural towns such as Padaviya, Horowpatana, Kantale, Siyabalanduwa and Melsiripura as well as in two provincial towns, Gampaha and Bandarawela.

The Business office at Melsiripura between Kurunegala and Dambulla is the company's 60th outlet.

Commenting on the opening of these new business offices, Lanka Bell Managing Director Suren Goonewardene said: "The opening of these new outlets demonstrates our commitment to extend our services to all parts of the island as the country's only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned telephone company".

These business offices will provide customers in these areas easy access to Lanka Bell's services, technical assistance and convenient locations for bill settlement.

Lanka Bell was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. The company is now the second largest fixed line telecommunications company in the country, with more than 700,000 lines. In partnership with FLAG Telecom, a subsidiary of India's Reliance Communications Lanka Bell has initiated US$ 27 million in an undersea cable project that will result in high speed data and internet access and far superior quality IDD facilities to thousands of customers all over the country. It will enable crystal clear international connectivity around the globe, linking key business markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and USA. Scheduled to be commissioned this year, the project will enable Lanka Bell to offer direct global connectivity and a complete end-to-end solution via FLAG Telecom's FALCON cable system, which is the first terabit private undersea cable system in Sri Lanka.

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Lanka Bell Supports Inter-Provincial Cricket Tournament

Lanka Bell, the truly Sri Lankan Telecommunication provider, has come forward as the franchise sponsor for the North Central Province team at the forthcoming inter -provincial cricket tournament organized by Sri Lanka Cricket.

The team which will be referred to as the 'Lanka Bell Wayamba Eleven' will be led by Sri Lankan Skipper Mahela Jayawardena and will also comprise national players Jehan Mubarak, Michael Van Dort & Farveez Maharoof.

Commenting on this sponsorship Managing Director of Lanka Bell Suren Goonawardene said: "The purpose of this tournament is to increase the competitiveness of domestic cricket, to harness the talent available in the outstations and provide professional coaching sessions to uplift the game of outstation players. Players will also be provided with services of a physiotherapist and state-of-the-art gym facilities which will be made available to the province. This would also help our National team to compete more aggressively with countries like Australia where a similar domestic tournament structure is followed."

"The need for an event of this nature was identified by the Sri Lankan Skipper Mahela Jayawardena soon after the Australian tour where Sri Lanka was beaten 2-0 in the test series. As a truly Sri Lankan company Lanka Bell is delighted to be a part of this process, which will provide the selectors with an opportunity identify future stars for the national team," he added.

The tournament will kick off on the 29th of December 2007 with the Lanka Bell Wayamba Eleven taking on the Basnahira - South team. The finals are scheduled to be held on the 13th of January 2008.

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Lanka Bell makes calling fun with 'Bell Tunez'

 

CDMA leader livens up telecommunication with entertaining new feature

Increasingly image-centric Sri Lankans can now project their personalities and entertain their callers at the same time thanks to the latest innovation from Lanka Bell, the country's leading CDMA operator.

Some 700,000 plus subscribers can store a favourite song in one of four languages on their Lanka Bell phones for the listening pleasure of their callers with the launch of 'Bell Tunez,' a hip new feature that is expected to set a new trend.

Songs and instrumentals representing many genres in English, Sinhala, Tamil and Hindi are available for downloading enabling Lanka Bell subscribers to use their CDMA phones as an extension of their personalities and to make calling them fun for family and friends.

"This is yet another value addition for our subscribers," said Lanka Bell Managing Director Suren Goonewardene. "It also demonstrates that innovation can convert a utilitarian appliance like a phone into a source of entertainment and bring a spark to our daily routines."

He said Bell Tunez would cater to all tastes and age groups in recognition of the size of the company's subscriber base. "Customers can choose from Cliff Richard to Enrique or Amaradeva to Iraj. It's really good fun," Mr. Goonewardene said.
And for those to whom music is not the ideal reflection of their personalities, special sound effects or humour in the form of comedy clips are also available, to ensure that their callers can be surprised or titillated.

Three modes of access have been provided for subscription to Bell Tunez. The first is Lanka Bell's tri-lingual Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) facility which can be accessed by dialling 1551 from any Lanka Bell CDMA phone. Thereafter, voice prompts will guide the caller through the simple steps for selecting his or her song or sound.

The second method is a request by SMS from the phone to an allocated Lanka Bell number 1551 where the subscribers input the designated numbers for the songs of their choice.

Those who have an internet connection on their CDMA phone can also view the song list on the Lanka Bell website http://belltunez.lankabellnet.com and make their choices. A selected song or sound will be heard by callers for between 30, 45 or 90 days, unless the subscriber changes it more frequently.

A feature of Bell Tunez will be the excellent sound quality which gives the caller crystal clear unadulterated entertainment, the company said.

Earlier this year, Lanka Bell became the first 'fixed-line' telecommunications company in Sri Lanka to offer voice-based short messaging with the launch of 'Bell Voice SMS' a unique new fun service that enables owners of Lanka Bell CDMA phones to record send voice messages to any network.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the second largest 'fixed line' provider in the local telecommunications sector. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell has invested more than Rs 6 billion in its operations and today offers the lowest call charges in the local market.

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Lanka Belll to represent country at international ICT competition


Lanka Bell Director Prasad Samarasinghe (3rd from left) with the company's award-winning IT team.

Pioneer CDMA operator's IT Team wins two national software awards; chosen to compete at APICTA

One of two innovative software solutions developed by the IT team of Lanka Bell, Sri Lanka's CDMA pioneer, will compete against similar products from 16 other countries at the seventh international Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) in Singapore later this month.

The product, 'Lanka Bell SMS Gateway' was short-listed to compete at this prestigious event following its success at the National Best Quality Software Awards hosted by the Sri Lanka Chapter of the British Computer Society (BCS) last month.

SMS Gateway, used to launch the first ever fixed-line SMS banking application in Sri Lanka won the Bronze award in the Communications category at these awards and was one of the few products selected to represent Sri Lanka at the APICTA competition from 26th to 29th November.

The second Lanka Bell Product that was recognised at the national competition was 'Bell Soft Telco Solutions' an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application which won a merit award.

"These awards reflect the innovativeness, creativity and skills of Lanka Bell's IT team," said the company's Managing Director Suren Goonewardene. "Behind the success of any Telco today is a highly skilled IT capability, and we are proud to represent Sri Lanka at the forthcoming competition."

He said Lanka Bell's SMS Gateway is already being used by a wide spectrum of customers in Sri Lanka. This application enables the conversion of email in to SMS for transmission to phones and vice versa. As a result, it makes checking account and credit card balances, exchange rates and ATM location details, as well as fund transfers and bill payments possible from phones. It also facilitates service registration by SMS, SMS notification, SMS attendance and job ticket for field staff among others and has the flexibility to run on any hardware operating system and database.

Lanka Bell's innovative use of CDMA technology has resulted in many value-additions to the company's subscribers. Earlier this year, Lanka Bell became the first 'fixed-line' telecommunications company in Sri Lanka to offer voice-based short messaging with the launch of 'Bell Voice SMS' a unique fun service that enables owners of Lanka Bell CDMA phones to record send voice messages to any network, fixed or mobile, for the first time in Sri Lanka.

One of the latest developments at Lanka Bell is its partnership with FLAG Telecom, a subsidiary of India's Reliance Communications for a US$ 27 million undersea cable project that will result in high speed data and internet access and far superior quality IDD facilities to several thousands of customers all over the country. It will enable crystal clear international connectivity around the globe, linking key business markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and USA. Scheduled to be completed in 2007, the project will enable Lanka Bell to offer direct global connectivity and a complete end-to-end solution via FLAG Telecom's FALCON cable system, which is the first terabit private undersea cable system in Sri Lanka.

The only 100 per cent Sri Lankan owned company in the telecommunications sector, Lanka Bell is the largest CDMA operator in the country with a subscriber base that exceeds 700,000. The company was established in 1997 with an initial investment of US$ 150 million and was the pioneer of CDMA technology in Sri Lanka. Lanka Bell has invested more than Rs 6 billion in its operations and today offers the lowest call charges in the local market.

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