Company Facts

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun Private Limited (‘Dhiraagu’) was established in 1988 as the country’s sole telecommunication service provider.

The Dhiraagu Head Office in Male’

With the issuance of an ISP license (in 2003) and a mobile license (in 2004), the telecommunications market was liberalized and opened to competition. The Company continues to be the country's leading provider of fixed-line, mobile and internet services.

In 2011, Dhiraagu went on to become a public limited company in September with an IPO in October 2011 and was later listed on the Maldives Stock Exchange in January 2012.

Dhiraagu is an important contributor to the national income and socio-economic development activities of the Maldives. Dhiraagu’s network covers all of the country's 199 inhabited islands, all resort islands and all major industrial islands.

With over 650 employees, and a nationwide service presence by way of 9 strategically located operating centers outside of Male', Dhiraagu stays close to its customers.

With 24 wholesale distributors, 33 exclusive partners, 87 non-exclusive partners and over 2,600 retailers across the country, Dhiraagu has the largest retail distribution network.

Dhiraagu continues to be the market leader and is the preferred service provider to over 350,000 customers. It is the aim of the Company to lead the information communication technology industry through excellence in quality, value and customer services.

To achieve this, the Company adopts the following key strategies:

• Strong focus on customer service
• Grow mobile broadband and data across the country and expand services to the enterprise market
• Build smart, competent and engaged teams
• Continue to manage costs efficiently and maximize shareholder value
• Contribute positively to society through corporate social responsibility programmes

Business Description and Principal Activities

Dhiraagu offers a comprehensive range of fixed, mobile, Internet and data services throughout the Maldives for consumers, corporations, resorts and government. Dhiraagu is the only total communication solutions provider and the No.1 telecom brand in the Maldives preferred by over 350,000 customers. The primary services offered by Dhiraagu include:

Mobile

Dhiraagu mobile service provides the widest coverage in the Maldives and offers a range of mobile services including voice, mobile data & broadband internet, international roaming, mobile content and value added services. Dhiraagu's 2G mobile network provides coverage to all inhabited islands, all resorts and major industrial islands. The 3G/HSDPA mobile network currently serves over 100 islands including Male' and covers majority of the Maldivian population, work is ongoing to rollout 3G service to additional inhabited islands and resorts.

Internet

Dhiraagu Internet offers include ADSL broadband internet service, dedicated internet access for large corporations and resorts and WiFi based internet access. Dhiraagu augments its basic Internet services by offering a choice of package options and various value-added services, such as web-hosting and POP e-mail services.

Fixed-line

Fixed-line services are offered through PSTN/ISDN/SIP lines and include primary voice and value-added services. Fixed-line access is available on all inhabited, resort and industrial islands. Residential fixed-lines are available on 13 islands, which together represent approximately half of the Maldivian population.

Enterprise Solutions /Managed Services

Dhiraagu also provides full range of services and enterprise solutions for large corporations, resorts and government. Managed Services are offered to address their communication & ICT needs, which include managed networking and hosting services.

Organisation structure

Corporate Governance

Dhiraagu believes vibrant and dynamic Corporate Governance practices are essential ingredient to success. Board of Directors and the Management Team of Dhiraagu are committed to maintaining effective Corporate Governance through a culture of accountability, transparency, well-understood policies and procedures.

With the principal shareholder being CWC, Dhiraagu has given importance to committing to good corporate governance practices with the fundamental premise of increasing transparency and sound management. Prior to the Company adopting its own Corporate Governance Code, Dhiraagu followed various Group policies to ensure that it was compliant with the CWC governance framework.

The Board of Directors sets the strategic direction and guides the corporate values based on inputs and recommendations by the CEO. The Board of Directors deliberates on the ‘Annual Operating Plan’ and the ‘Annual Budget’ at Board meetings. On a quarterly basis, the Board of Directors reviews the business and financial performance of the Company against the ‘Annual Operating Plan’ and the ‘Annual Budget’. This process helps the Board to focus on strategic direction on all areas of the Company covering products, risk management, compliance and human resource development. Creating value for shareholders in the day-to-day management is the responsibility of the CEO and the Senior Management Team.

In addition Dhiraagu has the following cross-functional management committees for key review and approval of key management decisions and programs. These committees meet weekly or monthly.

In addition to this, for execution of major projects, teams are formed with specialist staff from across the organisation.