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The archive

All reviews and explainers

Eight pieces in print as of this issue: four operator-level reviews of Sri Lanka's national mobile networks, and four thematic explainers on the structure of the local market. Every piece is read against the operator's own current public listing and updated when the listing changes meaningfully.

Dialog Axiata: A Reader's Review of the Country's Largest Mobile Network

Dialog Axiata: A Reader's Review of the Country's Largest Mobile Network

Dialog is the largest mobile operator in Sri Lanka by subscribers and the most visible brand in Colombo's telecom market. A reader's review of the network's coverage, its prepaid and postpaid line-ups in 2026, and where its public listings genuinely help compared with other operators.

SLT-Mobitel: The State-Backed Operator, Reviewed

SLT-Mobitel: The State-Backed Operator, Reviewed

Mobitel — formally Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel since the 2021 group restructuring — is the country's second-largest mobile network and the only operator with a state shareholder. A review of its public plan listings, its rural coverage, and how its position in the SLT group shapes what it offers subscribers.

Hutch: The Smaller Operator, on the Ground

Hutch: The Smaller Operator, on the Ground

Hutch — Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka — is the smallest of Sri Lanka's four national mobile operators by subscriber count, and the one our editors find most often misrepresented in foreign-language coverage. A review of what the network is currently publishing and what its smaller scale means in practice for everyday users.

Airtel Sri Lanka: The Indian-Owned Network, Examined

Airtel Sri Lanka: The Indian-Owned Network, Examined

Bharti Airtel's Sri Lankan subsidiary has been a quiet presence in the local mobile sector since 2009, with a smaller subscriber base than the three majors and a focus on entry-level prepaid users. A reader's review of the operator's current public plan information and how it compares with the rest of the market.