29/10/2026
Building Smarter Infrastructure for Sri Lanka's Growing Mobile Networks
Sri Lanka's mobile networks are expanding, bringing fresh demands for the infrastructure that supports them.
Dialog has already surpassed 1,000 live 5G sites, while SLT-MOBITEL is pursuing island-wide 5G deployment. Hutch is extending mobile broadband coverage into underserved rural communities. These developments reflect the growing need for network infrastructure across the country.
The challenge calls for infrastructure that can serve different network requirements while making better use of available space. For mobile network operators (MNOs), that means access to suitable structures without having to develop every site independently.
TANTRI has been involved in Sri Lanka's telecommunications infrastructure sector since 2016, drawing on its experience in structural design, manufacturing and project delivery. The company's recent award of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Services (TIS) Licence by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) marks an important development in that work.
Its telecommunications offering combines Tower-as-a-Service with in-house manufacturing of smart lamp poles and conventional macro towers, giving MNOs access to infrastructure suited to different network requirements.
Strengthening TANTRI's Role in Telecommunications Infrastructure
The TIS Licence covers the development and delivery of telecommunications infrastructure services, extending TANTRI's role in a sector where it has worked for the past decade.
At the centre of this offering is Tower-as-a-Service, through which TANTRI design, develops and manages passive telecommunications infrastructure that MNOs can rent to support the expansion of their services.The model is supported by TANTRI's ability to design and manufacture the structures required for different locations and network needs.
As mobile network operators expand their coverage and introduce new network services, suitable telecommunications infrastructure becomes increasingly important. TANTRI provides the physical infrastructure needed to support these deployments, helping operators extend their networks and install equipment where additional connectivity is required.
Tower-as-a-Service: Expanding Coverage Without Building Every Site
Developing a telecommunication site requires investment long before the network equipment becomes operational. Land or site access must be secured, power arranged, structures designed and constructed, and provisions made for installation and maintenance.
For operators expanding across multiple locations, managing these requirements independently can involve considerable upfront costs and operational responsibilities.
TANTRI's Tower-as-a-Service model offers an alternative.
Instead of building and managing the supporting infrastructure themselves, operators can rent passive infrastructure provided by TANTRI. Passive infrastructure includes the physical site, supporting structures and utilities required to accommodate telecommunications equipment.
TANTRI handles site acquisition, power arrangements, structural design, manufacturing, construction, installation and ongoing maintenance. Operators can then direct their resources towards network technology, coverage and customer service.
The model also allows TANTRI to provide different types of supporting infrastructure according to the requirements of each location. Smart lamp poles and conventional macro towers form two key parts of this offering, serving different network and coverage needs.
Smart Lamp Poles: More Value From One Structure
Smart lamp poles can accommodate telecommunications equipment for more localised network requirements, including 5G deployments in dense urban settings.
TANTRI designs and manufactures smart lamp poles according to the requirements of each location. While some can take the form of a street lamp pole, others can be customised for settings with specific design or spatial requirements. In urban developments, for example, the pole can be designed to suit the character of the surrounding environment rather than following a standard street-lamp form.
Once the necessary regulatory approvals are in place, TANTRI provides the space and necessary infrastructure provisions for mobile network operators (MNOs) to install their own telecommunications equipment. A single smart lamp pole can accommodate equipment for multiple MNOs, allowing operators to rent space on the same structure for their antennas and other network equipment.
The poles can also serve functions beyond telecommunications. Depending on the site, they can accommodate air-quality and weather sensors, CCTV cameras, digital advertising screens, public seating and phone-charging outlets.
This creates opportunities for shared use within the same structure. Multiple MNOs can use the structure for their network equipment, while local authorities and the public can also benefit from functions incorporated into the design. By bringing compatible functions together, smart lamp poles can reduce the need for separate street installations and make better use of available space.
For TANTRI, smart lamp poles form part of its telecommunications infrastructure offering, providing a practical option for locations with specific network, spatial and connectivity requirements.
Macro Towers for Wider Network Coverage
Conventional macro towers provide the supporting structure for mobile network equipment, helping MNOs expand their network coverage. TANTRI works with MNOs to identify suitable locations based on network requirements, including those for 2G, 4G and 5G services.
Once a suitable location is identified, TANTRI designs and manufactures the tower ,while also securing the site and providing the supporting infrastructure required. This allows MNOs to rent the tower for their network expansion, while TANTRI manages the supporting infrastructure associated with the site.
Supporting Connectivity Beyond Major Cities
Beyond major cities, MNOs are continuing to extend coverage into regions with different deployment conditions. Terrain, access, logistics and power availability can all influence how new infrastructure is delivered, particularly in underserved communities.
The company's work also complements the broader national effort to extend connectivity, including initiatives such as Gamata Sannivedanaya, which focus attention on improving telecommunications access beyond major cities.
Engineering Infrastructure for What Comes Next
With experience in the sector since 2016 and its recent TIS Licence, TANTRI brings together telecommunications infrastructure services with in-house manufacturing to support the continued expansion of Sri Lanka's mobile networks.
The approach begins with understanding what each location requires, then providing the infrastructure suited to its network, spatial and deployment needs.
