Broader perceptive on Internet vital

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The Internet is a super highway and it is a tool used frequently and freely in business activities. The telecom tariffs are user friendly and it encourages the business community to use this facility, said Director General, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Priyantha Kariyapperuma.

Although, the Internet is misused by some, we cannot filter the information as it is a huge and impossible task. We have a culture and value system which we have preserved for many years. We need to be self-disciplined when using the internet, he said.

There are over 12 million mobile users in the country and a smaller number has internet access.

“We encourage m-commerce even on mobile phones. At present the mobile phone is used for internet access, money transfers and for payments.

With the hardware laptop computers we could also access the internet. However, the equipment is expensive and cost effective mobile phones are necessary to increase access, he said.

There is a trend to engage in cyber culture. It has become an integral part of life where one had an internet identity, said Researcher of cyber culture, politics and security Dr. Harinda Vidanage.

Mobile technology is important to life and it influences decision-making.

The face book is a tool where personal space becomes more open and publicizes one’s personal life. However, it could be misused and give a wrong influence, he said. Cyber space is not like all other media and the key issue is to manage it.

People try to block or filter the material, but in the long run it is the understanding between the user and the facility that is important.

It is not easy to curtail the information and blocking has limitations, he said. In the long run a broader perceptive on the internet and its facilities is important.

The way out of misuse is awareness and education. The social phenomena is growing.

We do not have the legal framework for cyber space to curtail the boundaries in the internet.

Space has no limitation and the physical boundaries do not add up. We need a broader understanding, he said.