Petralex
Hearing is an essential need for a human to function and it helps one to lead day to day life without any limitations. It has been found that more than 400,000 hearing impaired people exist in Sri Lanka, and one out of three people upon reaching the age of 55 may have a hearing loss. Losing access to knowledge, social isolation, developing Dementia, loss of self-confidence and many more impacts occur due to hearing loss. Not being able to afford a hearing aid or the inability to access the technology has always been a prominent issue in this sector.
Dialog, in line with its efforts to empower otherwise marginalized groups across Sri Lanka using digitally inclusive initiatives, partnered with Petralex, the global leader in smartphone-based hearing enhancement solutions, to introduce the Petralex app, a revolutionary yet practical application for smartphones and tablets. With Petralex you are able to use your mobile device with a pair of regular headsets (including Bluetooth), as a simple yet discreet hearing enhancement device.
The Petralex app facilitates a hearing test using a headset or Bluetooth device, where the app will emit multiple frequencies to identify the most correct frequency for the user to hear better and it will then amplify the sound accordingly. The app actively eliminates unwanted background noises, thereby increasing speech intelligibility. Unlike traditional hearing aids, the need for changing one more battery is negated as the mobile app is enabled by the phone’s battery. The solution gives those who have hearing difficulties a tool they will feel comfortable using, with familiar day-to-day devices attracting no extra attention.
In its efforts of ensuring that our services are inclusive, affordable and accessible to all Sri Lankans, a special partnership between Dialog and Petralex has successfully enabled the introduction of the app to the Sri Lankan market at a subsidised rate of only LKR 180+ taxes per month, whereas it was initially available on the Google Play Store and the App Store for LKR 2000 per month.
The app was launched on 27th October 2019 and reinforces Dialog’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals which aim to build a sustainable future for all by the year 2030 by reducing inequalities (Goal 10), focusing on industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), and Dialog’s 4A Framework for Digital Inclusion; Accessibility, Affordability, Availability and Applicability. Dialog believes that this technology will help the community that needs assistive hearing thereby creating a significant impact in empowering their lives.