India vs. Sri Lanka
Telecommunications
| India | Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 21,004,534 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.6 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 2,291,464 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10.08 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 1,151,480,361 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 87.82 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 30,778,582 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135.34 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .in | .lk |
| Internet users | total: 446,759,327 percent of population: 34.45% (July 2018 est.) | total: 7,700,876 percent of population: 34.11% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: supported by deregulation, India is one of the fastest-growing telecom markets in the world; implementation of 4G/LTE; fixed-line/broadband underdeveloped; government investment in national infrastructure; project aims to connect 250,000 villages to broadband networks; expansive foreign investment with reliance of operators on Chinese vendors; imports of integrated circuits and broadcast equipment from China; steps taken towards a 5G auction and tests; submarine cable linking mainland to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; smart cities mission to promote 100 model cities in providing core infrastructure, sustainable environment, and quality of life through economic growth and competition, including focus on social, economic, and institutional pillars (2021) (2020) domestic: fixed-line subscriptions stands at 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular at 84 per 100; mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles, each with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 (very small aperture terminals) VSAT (2019) international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE-3 & 4, AAE-1, BBG, EIG, FALCON, FEA, GBICS, MENA, IMEWE, SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia, SAFE, WARF, Bharat Lanka Cable System, IOX, Chennai-Andaman & Nicobar Island Cable, SAEx2, Tata TGN-Tata Indicom and i2icn that provide connectivity to Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South East Asia, numerous Indian Ocean islands including Australia ; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly; strong growth anticipated as Sri Lanka is lagging behind other Asian telecoms; increase in mobile broadband penetration; govt. funds telecom sector to expand fiber and LTE networks and growing investment in 5G services (2020) domestic: fixed-line 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular 115 per 100; national trunk network consists of digital microwave radio relay and fiber-optic links; fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing (2019) international: country code - 94; landing points for the SeaMeWe -3,-5, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network, WARF Submarine Cable, Bharat Lanka Cable System and the Bay of Bengal Gateway submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 19,156,559 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.46 (2019 est.) | total: 1,666,317 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7.33 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | Doordarshan, India's public TV network, has a monopoly on terrestrial broadcasting and operates about 20 national, regional, and local services; a large and increasing number of privately owned TV stations are distributed by cable and satellite service providers; in 2015, more than 230 million homes had access to cable and satellite TV offering more than 700 TV channels; government controls AM radio with All India Radio operating domestic and external networks; news broadcasts via radio are limited to the All India Radio Network; since 2000, privately owned FM stations have been permitted and their numbers have increased rapidly | government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations; 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations |
Source: CIA Factbook
