In the GSMA Intelligence Mobile for Development Country Overview Series, we analyse the evolution and outlook of national mobile markets in the developing world. Each report covers a single country, combining data analysis with on-the-ground interviews to understand why that mobile market has developed as it has, and what the future holds. Covering themes of operator growth and competition dynamics, it provides analysis of indicators affecting adoption and usage, such as network coverage and investment, handsets, mobile data and value added services (VAS).
We particularly focus on operator attitudes to investing in VAS that aim to improve people’s lives in verticals such as health, education and finance. These ‘mobile for development’ (M4D) VAS are becoming increasingly important for operators in emerging markets, enabling them to forge customer loyalty with low-income, previously unconnected subscribers. With the projected rise in the number of people using mobile data over the next five years, forming such relationships now will be key to strengthening operators’ place in the data value chain in the future.
Our first Country Overview assesses Sri Lanka and demonstrates that the country has become a test bed for innovation, thanks to high competition and a government supportive of ICT literacy. Featuring an expert interview with Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, CEO of market leader Dialog, it shows that data and M4D VAS are seen as important components of mobile offerings and are likely to be the subject of growing investment in the years to come.
This document was originally produced as part of the former Mobile for Development Impact programme.