Broadband Probe

Dec 30, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s telecom regulator has begun investigations on broadband speeds advertised by telcos after a private research study found them exaggerating available bandwidth to surfers, a senior official said. Sri Lankan telcos deliver 75 percent of advertised speeds in the last mile of the network. LIRNEAsia said broadband providers in Sri Lanka like their counterparts in other South Asian countries had focused mainly on the last mile connectivity of the network.

The 'last mile' is the final leg of the distribution network, from a communications provider to a customer.

However the networks suffer bottlenecks that arise from expensive international broadband connectivity. œThe Telecom Regulatory Commission is conducting its own investigations on mobile broadband speeds advertized by operators," Priyantha Kariyapperuma, director general of the TRC said.

"If any mobile operator is found guilty of providing slower speeds than advertized, the TRC will take action against them. Our report will be out in about two to three weeks."

A study on broadband speeds in South Asian countries conducted by the regional think-tank LIRNEasia showed Sri Lankan surfers were getting less speed than claimed b