SimPhony, embarks on US$ 1 m expansion

SimPhony, the only public phone operator in Sri Lanka which provides a life time unique identity to its customers, intends to install 4,000 more public phones islandwide, and introduce many advanced features on pubic phones, through an investment of over US$ 1 million, within the year 2008.

“With the installation of 4,000 more phone units, SimPhony will be the largest public phone operator in Sri Lanka, with over 6,000 public phones all over the country, except in some areas in the North and East” the Chairman of CNS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd; Meir Zorea, stated. CNS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., overlooks the SimPhony operations in the country.

“The SimPhony concept is very simple. All you need to do, is to purchase a SimPhony card and insert it into a SimPhony public phone, to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages (SMS), and have voice mail facility. This is similar to, purchasing your own SIM card from a mobile phone operator, and inserting it, into a mobile phone. When the SimPhony card is removed from the SimPhony public phone, it is similar to any mobile phone being switched off. The text (SMS) and voice mail box messages received during this period, could be retrieved later.” he added.

At present, SimPhony cards with Hutch numbers could be purchased. SimPhony cards with Tigo numbers too, will be available from April onwards. This enables SimPhony card users, to have their own, as well as, a unique mobile number, and enjoy the mobile phone experience, even if they don’t have the financial capability of purchasing a mobile phone. Later on, if a SimPhony card user purchases a mobile phone, the individual can request to transfer the SimPhony card number, on to a regular SIM card, which could be used with an ordinary mobile phone.

“SimPhony cards are not only for those who cannot afford a mobile phone. Most schools do not allow students, to use mobile phones. However, in some schools, SimPhony public phones are installed, within their premises. If students of such a school have SimPhony cards, they can communicate with their parents, in an emergency. The parents too can easily identify who is calling them, since each SimPhony user has a unique number, the CEO of CNS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. U G R Jagath Kumara, said.
“Rural areas where land or mobile telephone communication was only a dream, have benefited vastly from SimPhony technology. This has been possible, since SimPhony public phones which use GSM technology, can receive signals up to a radius of 25 km, from a transmission tower, when coupled with a special antenna”, he added.