Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka (Hutch Lanka) signed an agreement with Sri Lanka’s Board of Investments covering a planned deployment of a nationwide 4G network.

The pact covers a sum of at least $115 million and builds on Hutch Lanka’s efforts to integrate the network of Etisalat Lanka, which it acquired in December 2018.

In a statement, Hutch Lanka CEO Thirukumar Nadarasa said the combination of the two businesses “will provide Sri Lankan customers with a major boost in both rural and urban network coverage and a renewed commitment in offering superior communication services to all customers.”

Hutch Lanka is the third largest mobile player in the country, with a 20 per cent share of subscribers post-merger behind market leader Dialog Axiata and Mobitel (the mobile unit of Sri Lanka Telecom).

Nadarasa said it recently launched 4G service in the Western Province in the first wave of its nationwide rollout.