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| Thursday, 12 August 2004 |
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Tritel's 'Calls on Wheels' to open new world to villages
A service hitherto untried in Sri Lanka, which would result in telecommunications facilities being taken to people in rural areas and provincial towns has been launched by Tritel Services (Pvt) Ltd., the largest payphone operator in the country. "Calls on Wheels" - was an idea that came from General Manager for New Business Development and Corporate Affairs Nihal Ratnayake. This service will be provided by mobile payphone booths in Tritel's distinctive blue livery mounted on custom-built tricycles, which will be deployed in areas where public events take place, the Company said. These mobile booths will provide local and IDD facilities at very affordable rates to people who do not have their own telecommunication facilities, or have to travel far to get to a telecommunication facility. Tritel envisages that the Calls on Wheels program, begun with seven units, will eventually consist of a fleet of at least 30 tricycles. The Company's Chief Executive Officer, K. Vijaiyakumar said: "We are excited about this new concept and what it will achieve. We believe that this program would help in two important areas of extending telecommunication to those who need it and providing gainful employment." "Tritel has played a catalytic role in the improvement of telecommunications in rural Sri Lanka. The 'Calls on Wheels' facility is yet another manifestation of the company's commitment to develop telecommunications in underprivileged areas," he said. "Calls on Wheels is easy and accessible. It will open a whole new world to the villages, giving them the option of calling loved ones who have moved to the cities or overseas, without the hassle of travelling miles in search of a phone," Vijaiyakumar said. Some of the initial areas identified for the 'Calls on Wheels' program are areas off Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Matara, Hikkaduwa and Tangalle. Tritel currently enjoys a presence of 40 per cent in rural areas. "We believe that the Calls on Wheels program will be an appropriate supplement to our 4,500 strong public communication facility network," Vijaiyakumar said. |
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