Getting a mobile connection

The largest mobile phone provider is Dialog, with around 7 million subscribers. Mobitel, owned by Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), is the second largest provider with 4.2 million subscribers. Etisalat now owned by Hutch has 5 million users. While Airtel has 2.5 subscribers as of 2018. Dialog and Mobitel have a very good islandwide voice and data coverage.

Taxes

An ordinary voice call is taxed at 13.5% while data charges include 11% tax

Prepaid mobile phone packages

All providers offer a pay-as-you-go service for mobile phones. You need to be at least 18 to get a prepaid mobile connection, and you will need to show some form of photographic ID, such as a passport or driving licence in order to buy a pre-paid package.

As in other countries with a pay-as-you-go package, you simply buy a SIM card from your chosen provider and add load credit to the SIM as you use it. Competition is very high between mobile networks, which pushes prices down. For pre-paid packages, you can opt for by-the-second or per minute charges. Most packages are enabled for international calls (IDD), though these may become quite expensive on a pay-as-you-go programme

Postpaid mobile phone contracts

Also similar to many other countries, if you think you will be using your phone a lot you can opt for a monthly contract. The major networks all offer similar calling plans, so you need to choose whether you intend to send more messages or want more minutes.

The best way is to shop around. If you know you will be calling a lot of Mobitel numbers, for example, then it might pay for you to get a Mobitel package. Calling within the same network is generally cheaper than calling landlines or other mobile networks.

For a mobile phone contract, you must be over 18 years old and will need: Your passport 

Last Modified: April 16, 2024