Category: Technology

Regional telecom firms could come into play under a state proposal to propagate communication facilities in rural villages. The regional licences will give firms a mandate to set up telecom networks in villages and access to monies from the lquote Viswa Grama programme, a state authored proposal to create communication facilities in areas with little […]

The final draft licence for External Gateway Operators (EGO) is due Tuesday, the license fee remains unchanged at US$ 50,000.Operators will also pay 0.3 per cent of revenues annually to the telecom watchdog, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).rn rnFor seven days the draft will be open for public scrutiny from Tuesday, before coming into effect […]

The government is pushing through plans for lquote Visva Grama, a project to roll out modern ICT infrastructure in rural areas. US 0.06 cents charged on each incoming international call minute will feed the fund, one third going to infrastructure providers as subsidies.rn rnInfrastructure providers will bid for the subsidy, with the firm quoting the […]

Local payphone operators Tritel were given a subsidy of Rs. 1.3 mn Monday to set up pay phones in rural areas outside the Western Province.At the rate of Rs. 50,000 a unit, this is part of an existing subsidy scheme launched last year by the Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC) for all pay-phone operators.rn rnInitially, a […]

UK based Adam Smith Institute secured the mandate to prepare the groundwork for a new telecomm and ICT regulator.The Science & Technology Ministry said Thursday that a team, which also includes top Finnish telecom expert Arno Wirzenius, would start work next Monday.rn rnUnder the procurement procedure, the consultant has to write out the terms of […]

Sri Lanka Telecom on Thursday reported a 38 percent surge in after tax profits for the nine months ending September 30, 2002.SLTs net profits touched Rs. 2.425 mn up from Rs. 1.763 mn in 2001. Its revenues rose 15 percent to Rs.18.579 mn as against Rs. 16.159 mn in the same period 2001.rn rnOperating profits […]

Eleven local Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) firms will head for the US next week, a mission to woo new business and investment. The weeklong USAID programme will take the local troop to top Information Technology (IT) firms and other IT driven industries in the Washington and Silicone Valley areas.rn rnMeetings will include an appointment […]

Millennium Information Technologys client list was propped up with two new big accounts in 2002, but two other clients going bust contributed to a Rs. 605.31 mn loss for the year. The company also saw its distribution costs soar to Rs.419.65 mn from Rs. 57.00 mn in 2001, while administrative expenses shot up to Rs.316.95 […]

Six licences to test and develop 3G cellular services are on offer, valid for one year for strictly non-commercial trial purposes. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) on Thursday sought entrepreneurs to test and develop third generation (3G) cellular services.rn rnTRC Assistant Director H.W.K. Indrajith told Lanka Business Online that the licences would not be restricted […]

Consultants appointed to study Sri Lankas frequency spectrum commenced work in December 2002 and are expected to submit the final report before May 2003. D.J Associates, the consultants appointed for the task will look at the countrys spectrum management mechanism and propose strategies to better utilise the scarce resource, while also recommending policies and third […]

Fixed phone subscribers could pay between Rs. 2.63 to Rs. 6.12 more if all incoming calls to mobile phones are made free from Jan.01. The telecom watchdog is however facing strong resistance from all operators who say the tariffs are unreasonable.rn rnIn hopes of resolving the deadlock, the regulator is holding a marathon session of […]

In what could lead the way to a common directory for subscribers from all networks, Sri Lanka Telecom today launched its in-house compiled provincial directory – The Rainbow Pages. rnrnProposals in the recent draft interconnection framework calls for a common phone index, initiated by SLT. rn rnAlso proposed is a common online directory database available […]