Airtel - Sri Lanka

Search Criteria
Carrier
Airtel
Country
Sri Lanka Flag of Sri Lanka View country details


Airtel (Sri Lanka) uses 2 GSM bands, 1 UMTS band, 3 LTE bands, and 1 5G NR band. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Airtel (Sri Lanka). See the tables below for details.

Check device compatibility

Carrier website: http://www.airtel.lk/

Last updated: 2024/08/05 - See latest updates

Airtel Sri Lanka, formerly known as Bharti Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, is a subsidiary of the Indian multinational telecommunications company Bharti Airtel. Here are some key points about the Airtel Sri Lanka mobile network:

Service Commencement

  • License Awarded: Airtel Sri Lanka was awarded a mobile phone operator license in 2006.
  • Service Start: The company commenced its commercial operations on January 13, 2009, although it was initially scheduled to start in early 2007.

Network Data

  • MNC: 413 05
  • Operator Code: 075.

History

  • Parent Company: Bharti Airtel Limited, the second-largest mobile operator in the world with over 480 million mobile customers as of September 2020.
  • Awards: Airtel Sri Lanka received the 2nd Place award in the 16th National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA) in 2019.

Network Implementation

  • Technologies: Airtel Sri Lanka currently uses 2G, 4G LTE, and VoLTE technologies. The company is also under testing for 5G capabilities.
  • 3G Shutdown: The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) approved the shutdown of Airtel's 3G network by June 24, 2022.

Coverage and Speed

  • 4G Coverage: Airtel's 4G availability is 88.9% of the time, making it one of the top providers in Sri Lanka.
  • Speed: Airtel ranks 6th among 11 providers in Sri Lanka, with download and upload speeds of 8.3 Mbps and 1.8 Mbps, respectively.

Investment and Expansion

  • 4G Infrastructure: Airtel has invested significantly in its 4G infrastructure, adding over 2,000 sites and 400 towers across the country since 2021.
  • 5G Readiness: The company is preparing to launch 5G services once licenses are issued in Sri Lanka.

Customer Experience

  • Simplified Plans: Airtel has introduced simplified prepaid plans like the 4G Freedom Packs, which offer more value for money compared to other products in the market.
  • Data Rollover: Postpaid users can benefit from a data rollover mechanism, allowing unused data to be carried forward to the next billing month.

Market Position

  • Market Share: Airtel serves approximately 3 million customers, which is about 15% of Sri Lanka's population.
  • Competition: The main competitors in the Sri Lankan mobile market are Dialog and Mobitel, which have the largest coverage and fastest speeds.

Overall, Airtel Sri Lanka has made significant investments in its network infrastructure and has been focusing on enhancing customer experience through simplified plans and innovative services.

Frequency Bands

GSM

Name Interface Description
900 MHz (E-GSM) GSM

Airtel Sri Lanka uses the GSM 900 MHz (E-GSM) frequency band. This band operates from 880 MHz to 960 MHz, with the uplink frequency range being 880 MHz to 915 MHz and the downlink range being 925 MHz to 960 MHz. The GSM 900 Extended (E-GSM) band is used in Sri Lanka, which includes channel numbers from 0 to 124 and 975 to 1023.
1800 MHz (DCS) GSM

Airtel Sri Lanka uses the GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) frequency band. This band is part of the GSM standard, which operates at 1,800 MHz. It was first introduced in the early 1990s as part of the GSM standard expansion from 900 MHz to 1,800 MHz in 1991.

UMTS

Name Interface Description
B1 (2100 MHz) UMTS

Airtel Sri Lanka uses the UMTS frequency band B1 (2100 MHz). This band was deployed in 2009 when Airtel commenced its commercial operations in Sri Lanka.

LTE

Name Interface Description
B1 (2100 MHz) LTE

Airtel Sri Lanka uses the LTE B1 (2100 MHz) frequency band. This band was deployed to enhance the network experience for customers by increasing the capacity and improving the quality of 4G services. The deployment of LTE B1 (2100 MHz) has been part of Airtel's efforts to upgrade its network infrastructure and provide superior mobile broadband services to its users.
B5 (850 MHz) LTE

Airtel Sri Lanka uses LTE band B5 (850 MHz). This frequency band was added to Airtel Sri Lanka's network on August 5, 2024.
B7 (2600 MHz) LTE

Airtel Sri Lanka uses LTE Band 7 (2600 MHz) for its 4G network. This frequency band was deployed as part of Airtel's efforts to enhance its 4G infrastructure, particularly in dense areas where higher signal propagation is beneficial. The deployment of this band aimed to improve the overall 4G network experience for customers by providing wider network availability and better indoor coverage.

5G NR

Name Interface Description
N78 (3500 MHz) 5G NR

Airtel Sri Lanka uses the 5G NR frequency band n78, which corresponds to the 3500 MHz band. The deployment of this frequency band is unknown.

Latest updates