Mobitel rings back Lalith as CEO

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently announced the reappointment of Lalith De Silva as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

No stranger to the mobile telecommunications industry in Sri Lanka, De Silva was also Mobitel’s first CEO to assume duty following the acquisition of the company by Sri Lanka Telecom in 2002 and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the company’s rapid technological and market growth.

Hailed as a global ICT and project management specialist, De Silva brings with him a vast bank of experience gained as a Senior Consultant at SLT, a Board Director at SriLankan Airlines and Senior Advisor at Saudi Telecom.

Enjoying a successful year decorated with numerous awards and high growth, his appointment comes at a crucial juncture not just in the history of Mobitel, but also in Sri Lanka.

Mobitel’s timely introduction of the latest in mobile technology to Sri Lanka is testimony to the telecommunication service provider’s vision of leading Sri Lanka towards an Info-Com and knowledge rich society through its service offerings.

Mobitel was the first in Asia to launch a Super 3.5G HSPA network and the first in Sri Lanka to demonstrate HSPA+ MIMO and 4G/LTE. Constantly striving to create unparalleled communication solutions and implement new technology to boost the country, Mobitel has taken giant strides to make ICT technology affordable and accessible to everyone.

The appointment of an ICT specialist in the calibre of De Silva also further reinforces Mobitel’s vision alignment with the ICT development goals of the nation.

SLT and Mobitel Chairman Nimal Welgama speaking on the appointment said: “With proven expertise as an inspirational leader with high performing team building skills, I am confident that Lalith together with the able support of the forward thinking, dynamic and highly committed team at Mobitel, would be able to steer the Mobitel brand towards even greater heights in the Sri Lankan Mobile ICT landscape.”

De Silva talking about his appointment and aspirations for the company said “Returning to Sri Lanka after many years I am delighted to see the transformation of our nation not only in terms of infrastructure and economic development but also in terms of its people and their social and spiritual progression. We are now a free and united nation under a strong and visionary leader.”

“From an industry perspective, within a short span of six years, our mobile penetration has grown from less than 20% to the current level of over 90%. Internet penetration too has grown by ten fold. It is certainly a promising time for the country and I consider it both a privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to once again lead the Mobitel team and help contribute towards the further development of our nation,” De Silva added.

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider and the Official Sponsor of the National Cricket Team, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. In January 2004, the company launched its fully-fledged 2.5G GSM network that is EDGE/GPRS enabled and designed to operate on dual band.

In December 2007, the company launched its 3.5G HSPA network – the first Super 3.5G network in South Asia. Further, Mobitel successfully demonstrated HSPA + MIMO technology with down link speed up to 28.8 Mbps and carried out successful trial of 4G/LTE technology with downlink speed exceeding 96 Mbps, for the first time in the South Asian Region.

Investments committed to date in the 2.5G/3.5G/4G networks and service offering amounts to over US$ 400 m.