Category: Technology

Policy makers agreed to come forth with a revised date plan to issue external gateway licences, decided at a stakeholder meeting on Wednesday. rnrnTelecom operators on January 24, united to lobby against the draft External Gateway Operator (EGO) licence citing shortcomings including the lack of access tariffs. rn rnA lack of an interconnection framework also […]

Up to five firms are asking for a third generation (3G) mobile testing licence, the response to the Telecommunication Regulatory Commissions (TRC) call that ended last Friday. The telecom watchdog intends to evaluate the applications and issue the one-year test licences within February, senior TRC officials told Lanka Business Online.rn rnThe regulator also needs to […]

Government is talking to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to open up its now exclusive access to submarine cables.Dominant carrier SLT has exclusive access to existing SEA- ME- WE submarine cables. The telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has already had a few rounds of talks with SLT to iron out issues.rn rnSLT, an investor in SEA ME […]

Telecom operators have ganged up to lobby against the draft External Gateway Operators (EGO) licence published for public comment earlier this week. Senior telecom officials quote representing all seven operates met Friday to device a strategy against the draft licence prior to the deadline for public comment set for January 27.rnrnOfficials say that the draft […]

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 […]