MTN Networks (Pvt) Ltd (1993–2005)

Dialog was incorporated in 1993 as MTN Networks (Private) Limited with 90% of equity through Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and 10% by Capital Maharaja being the local promoters to the investment. Telekom Malaysia (TM) is the Majority owned by the Government of Malaysia, and is the incumbent and dominant fixed-line telecom operator in Malaysia. At the time of setup, MTN was the 4th entry to the Sri Lankan Mobile market which already had 3 established operators.

In 1995 just after 2 years of incorporation, MTN Networks began its commercial operations under the brand name Dialog GSM by rolling out the first digital network in South Asia using GSM technology hence offering a superior service compared to analog networks at the time.^[12]

In 1996, the local promoters divested their stake providing complete ownership of MTN Networks to Telekom Malaysia. In mid-1997 Hans Wijayasuriya was appointed as the CEO of MTN Networks, at the age of 29 becoming the youngest CEO in a multimillion-dollar investment.^[13]

Marking another regional first Dialog GSM was the first operator in Asia Pacific to deliver international roaming in 1997.^[14] MTN Networks was able to record its first operational profit for the financial year of 1998 when Dialog GSM had a subscriber base close to 75,000. Beginning of the new millennium brought fortunes for Dialog as in the year 2000 it was able to attain the market leader position in the mobile market surpassing the incumbent operators.^[15]

The year 2001 saw the launch of Dialog Internet, thus starting Internet service provider operations by launching GPRS and MMS services based on existing 2G infrastructure and becoming the first GPRS and MMS operator in South Asia.^[13]

Following the 2002 ceasefire agreement, Dialog became the first mobile operator to cover the Jaffna Peninsula within 45 days.^[16]

In 2004 surpassing a milestone Dialog GSM was able to attain 1 million subscriber base and to commission its 500th 2G base station.^[15][17]

Dialog Telekom PLC (2005–2010)

In March 2005 MTN Networks Pvt Ltd unveiled its new corporate identity as Dialog Telekom Ltd at a shindig witnessed by Mahathir Mohamad, Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, celebrating the Company's ten years of telecommunications infrastructure development in Sri Lanka.^[18]

In 2005, Dialog Telekom launched the largest IPO seen by the Sri Lankan capital markets in an attempt to finance expanding the network. The Dialog Telekom initial offer, which was launched on a book building structure at a price range of LKR 8 to LKR 12 per share, consists of 712.3 million ordinary shares, which is a 9.6% stake of the company.^[19] Offer was oversubscribed 3 times within an hour of opening and Dialog Telekom was able to raise LKR 8.55 Billion (US$85 million) in fresh capital making this the largest IPO to date in the country.^[20] Dialog Telekom made history on the first trading day when trading commenced at a price of LKR 14.25 making Dialog Telekom the first Sri Lankan Company to reach the US$1 billion market capitalization mark.

In 2005 December, Dialog Telekom Acquired 100% stake of MTT Network Pvt Ltd for LKR 1.86 Billion (US$19.2 million).^[21][22] At the time of Acquisition MTT was the leading digital transmission and backbone provider for other Cellular operators and television stations. Other than that MTT also operated CDMA telephony services and external gateway operations. Pursuant to the Acquisition MTT was renamed Dialog Broadband Networks Pvt Ltd (DBN) which as a fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Telekom and continued providing service to MTT clientele and also expanded on CDMA operations.^[23]

In December 2006, Dialog Telekom completed the takeover of troubled DTH satellite television provider CBN SAT (Private) Ltd for LKR 523.8 million (US$4.6 million) marking Dialog's entry into the television segment thus positioning itself as a quadruple play service provider. CBNsat was re-branded as DialogTV and operates as a fully owned subsidiary of Dialog Telekom.^[24]

After the end of Sri Lanka Civil War in 2019, Dialog was the first operator to extend its GSM network to former conflict zones in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, where it maintains an estimated 85% market share to this date^[16]

Dialog Axiata PLC (2010-Present)

Following the 2008 demerger from Telekom Malaysia Berhad, the parent company TM International (TMI) rebranded as Axiata Group Berhad to establish an independent regional identity. Consequently, Dialog Telekom PLC changed its name to Dialog Axiata PLC in 2010 to align with this new corporate structure and Axiata's strategy to unify its South Asian operations under a single regional brand.^[25][26]

In 2012, Dialog Axiata acquired Suntel Ltd, one of Sri Lanka's fixed-line and CDMA telecommunications operators, through its subsidiary Dialog Broadband Networks (Private) Limited for USD 34 millon.^[27] Following the acquisition, Suntel's network and customer base were integrated into Dialog's broadband and fixed telecommunications operations, strengthening the company's position in the fixed broadband and enterprise connectivity sectors.^[28][29]

In April 2013, Dialog Axiata launched Sri Lanka's first commercial 4G LTE network using spectrum in the 1800 MHz band, becoming the first operator in South Asia to commercially deploy an FD-LTE network.^[30][31] The launch marked a significant expansion of mobile broadband services in the country.

In January 2017, longtime Chief Executive Officer Dr Hans Wijayasuriya stepped down from his role after nearly two decades leading the company and was succeeded by Supun Weerasinghe.^[32] Wijayasuriya subsequently assumed regional responsibilities within the Axiata Group. Later in 2017, Dialog Axiata conducted Sri Lanka's first public demonstration of fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology in collaboration with international technology partners. The demonstration was among the earliest 5G showcases in South Asia.^[33]

In 2018, Dialog launched the anonymous messaging platform Yeheli.lk. Driven by technology from Bangladeshi company Mayalogy, it connects users with experts, especially on the subject of women’s health and well-being.^[34][35]

During the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020, Dialog experienced a substantial increase in mobile and fixed broadband traffic due to remote working, online education, and increased digital media consumption. The company expanded network capacity and supported several digital education and remote connectivity initiatives during the period.

In 2023, Dialog Axiata announced the proposed acquisition of Airtel Lanka, the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. The transaction was completed on 26 June 2024 through a share-swap arrangement, resulting in Bharti Airtel obtaining approximately 10.36% ownership in Dialog Axiata^[36][37]. The acquisition combined the customer bases, spectrum assets, and telecommunications infrastructure of both operators, further strengthening Dialog's position in Sri Lanka's mobile telecommunications market. Following the merger, Dialog commenced the integration of Airtel Lanka's subscribers and network infrastructure into its nationwide operations to improve spectrum utilization, network capacity, and service coverage. The transaction also marked Bharti Airtel's exit from direct telecommunications operations in Sri Lanka after more than fifteen years in the market.

Following the 2017 5G demonstration, the company conducted limited non-standalone (NSA) 5G trials using existing 4G LTE infrastructure and upgraded selected urban network sites to support 5G readiness. The deployment of commercial 5G services was delayed due to the absence of officially allocated mid-band spectrum for 5G by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). Long delayed 5G spectrum auction was held in December 2025^[38], in which Dialog secured 100 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band and 200 MHz in the 27 GHz band. Following the auction^[39], the company began phased commercial rollout of 5G services in early 2026, expanding network coverage across major urban areas. By April 2026, Dialog Surpassed 1,000 operational 5G sites across the country.^[40][41]

As of 2026, Dialog Axiata remained the largest telecommunications service provider in Sri Lanka by subscriber base, operating mobile, broadband, digital television, enterprise, and international telecommunications services. The company continued investments in 4G LTE, fibre-optic infrastructure, and 5G network expansion across the country.

Chief Executives

The following is a chronological list of people who have served as chief executive officer of Dialog Axiata PLC in its history

• Mr. Mohammed Said Mohammed Ali (1993–1996)^[42]
• Datuk Zaini Diman (1996–1997)
• Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya (1997–2016)
• Mr. Supun Weerasinghe (2017 – present)^[43]