Mobitel launches region-specific news alerts

The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel together with Media Vision (Pvt) Ltd. has launched a unique news alert system for Mobitel’s customers in the Kandy District.

Living up to its credo of ‘We Care. Always.,’ Mobitel continues to function as a customer-centric mobile service provider, taking heed of its customers most innate needs.

Region-specific news alerts has been a long-felt need in the country, and launching this service first in Kandy seemed most appropriate considering its large and diverse population and wide variety of interests ranging from tourism to sporting events.

Mobitel launched this news alert service in partnership with Media Vision, which pioneered a bilingual (English and Sinhala) monthly journal newspaper titled ‘The Kandy News’ 18 years ago. The Kandy News carries region-specific news and news analysis which is of interest to local residents, but does not get adequate coverage by the national media.

This collaboration now enables Mobitel customers to subscribe and receive this information in the form of an SMS news alert in either English or in Singlish (Sinhala text written in English script).

Both Pre-paid and Post-paid Mobitel customers can subscribe to this service by simply sending an SMS to 2299; type REG <space> KNE for English alerts or REG <space> KNS for Sinhala alerts. The service will be offered free until 28 February 2013. Following the promotional period, pre-paid customers will be charged Rs. 1.25 + taxes per day while post-paid customers will be charged Rs. 30 + taxes per month.

Mobitel General Manager – Sales and Distribution Pubudu Indatissa addressing the gathering at the launch stated: “Specialised region-specific news alerts are a brand new concept. This kind of service addresses the need of customers to be better informed in a timely manner about local events that are of considerable importance to improve the quality of life of the people living in that area. The new Mobitel service will also ensure that this news will reach our subscribers faster and more conveniently than other traditional news media is able to do. We are proud to have pioneered this service, and look forward to expanding this to other key regions in Sri Lanka.”

Media Vision Managing Director/Managing Editor Shirley Jayawardane said: “Media Vision takes great pleasure in working with Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel.

Their technology is the most advanced in the industry and it is truly heartening to see a corporate giant such as Mobitel take the initiative to reach out to the community and provide vital information to those who need it most. Mobitel’s association with us and the tools they have provided us have helped us to increase the efficiency and quality of our work. We hope that with the help of Mobitel we can continue to grow and in time deliver news for different regions in the country.”