In a further demonstration of Turner's industry-leading position in the mobile industry, Sri Lankan national mobile service provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel is to offer its customers access to CNN's latest global news content through one call. 

With a few clicks, Mobitel customers can watch CNN breaking news and the latest top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics and more on an on-demand basis simply by dialing 555.   A key advantage of this service is uninterrupted content delivery when compared to web and WAP based streaming where delays can be experienced due to content being buffered. Mobitel customers can also enjoy the added convenience of replaying previous news stories within the same video portal.

Commenting on this new initiative, Mrs. Leisha De Silva Chandrasena, Chairperson Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel said: "The mobile phone is fast becoming an important platform for the dissemination of information due to its high penetration and efficient reach.  Further, mobile TV and Video on Demand are also gaining popularity since it allows you quick and efficient access to know the latest happenings around the world despite being caught up in this fast paced world. The partnership with CNN International is yet another landmark development for Mobitel following its recent partnership with Google the leading global Internet company."
 
A further significant advantage is the fact that no software or special configurations are required by customers to access the service. For the benefit of 2G phone users in particular, CNN's latest global news can also be accessed via WAP by logging onto wap.mobitel.lk.

On the new service, Siddharth Jain, Vice President and Deputy General Manager - Distribution & Business Operations, South Asia, Turner International India Private Limited (TIIPL) said: "Sri Lanka is an important and exciting market for Turner International and CNN in the region. Partnering with a leading player like Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel certainly provides a national footprint for CNN International to reach out to a wide consumer base in Sri Lanka. It is a win-win initiative for the consumers as they get to know what's happening around the world from the world's leading global news network via the leading mobile platform of Sri Lanka."

Suren J Amarasekera, CEO, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel said, "We are excited about the partnership with CNN International which will benefit our customers where they will be able to watch the latest in the world news over a video call. In keeping with our promise "We Care. Always" Mobitel will always innovate to bring in services that are more relevant for the customer and at the same time easily accessible. The selection of CNN's global news is simple as one is able to select the feature through the Mobitel 3G video portal by dialing 555."

Ringo Chan, Vice President of Wireless and Interactive Content, Development and Distribution,  Turner Asia Pacific commented: "Turner continues its commitment to lead in delivering content to consumers in the region in the most innovative way.  Working with Mobitel to provide this easy user-friendly interface empowers the user to get CNN's news and information anytime and anywhere."

Since the launch of Sri Lanka's first super 3.5G HSPA network, Mobitel has already added several other pioneering services such as Mobile TV (Live), Video on Demand, Video Sharing and Blogging to its existing portfolio of infotainment related services which consisted of SMS News Alerts, Voice portals (IVR services), WAP and SIM Menu Based Services. A key feature of most of these services is the providing of breaking news as well as information on a variety of segments such as sports, entertainment, business, politics and weather in a convenient and easily accessible manner.

CNN has been at the forefront of international news for almost 30 years. The company's award winning coverage of world events ensures that its audience is always the first to know about breaking stories. CNN's mobile service, introduced in 1999 was the first mobile news and information service available globally with targeted regional content. The launch of CNNmobile.com in 2008 positions it as the most comprehensive mobile news site to-date across Asia Pacific.  It rounds out CNN's 360 degree mobile solution offering, integrating live streaming mobile TV, video on demand content, and SMS breaking news alert services as well as other mobile applications.

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel
Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, the National Mobile Service Provider and the Official Sponsor of the National Cricket Team, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom. In January 2004, the company launched its fully-fledged 2.5G GSM network that is EDGE/GPRS enabled and designed to operate on dual band. In December 2007, the company launched its 3.5G HSPA network - the first Super 3.5G network in South Asia. Further, Mobitel successfully demonstrated HSPA + MIMO technology with down link speed up to 28.8 mbps for the first time in the South Asian region. Investments committed to date in the 3.5G/2.5G networks and service offering amounts to over US$300 Mn. The company plans to increase its combined number of base stations to 3000 by the end of 2010.

About CNN International
CNN is the world's leading global 24-hour news network and one of the world's most respected and trusted sources for news and information. The CNN brand is available to two billion people via 18 CNN branded TV, internet and mobile services produced by CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System Inc and a Time Warner company. CNN International is the international directorate of CNN Worldwide and distributes news via 14 services in seven different languages. CNN International can be seen in more than 257 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, including more than 37 million across the Asia Pacific region and online at www.cnn.com/international/.

For any queries, please contact:
Raman Swain
CNN South Asia
Tel. +91 11 41699129
Email: raman.swain@turner.com