Tele Trend

Jan 29, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's fixed wireless users shrank 1.4 percent to 2.63 million in the third quarter of 2011, from a year earlier, but internet users, which include mobile broad bank rose 100 percent, official data shows. . Fixed wireline grew 4.6 percent to 929,851. Sri Lanka Telecom, the island's only wireline operator had earlier reversed a shrinking sector after its take-over by Malaysia's UT group by promoting broadband ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) use.

Total fixed access users grew 1.

4 percent dragged down by a 1.4 percent shrinking of wireless access users. From the second quarter, wireless access use was down 2.

1 percent.

Data released by the Central Bank showed mobile users growing 10.

8 percent to 18.4 million users during the third quarter from a year earlier, slower than the 14.





5 percent seen in the second quarter.

Internet and email subscribers which the central bank said included mobile broadband grew 100 percent to 721,617 in the third quarter.