To house broadcasting antennaes:

US$ 100 m tower building to be set up in Peliyagoda

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

Construction work on a tower building to house broadcasting antennaes will commence next month in Peliyagoda with an investment of US$ 100 million.

“The tower building project initiated by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) will be a national icon and tourist attraction. The project will be completed within one and a half years. TRCSL will not give permission to erect separate towers in future, said TRCSL Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma.

TRCSL Deputy Director/Spectrum Management Helsiri Ranatunga, TRCSL Deputy Director/Policy and International Relations Mohan Jayasekera, TRCSL Deputy Director/Network W.D. de Alwis and TRCSL Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma at the media briefing yesterday. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa

Sri Lanka’s telecommunication industry is the most developed industry in the region and the Telecommunication Act will be amended shortly to incorporate the changing needs of the industry.

The industry has the right technology to serve the market and to make Sri Lanka a knowledge economy. The country has the potential to become the hub in the international telecommunication arena, he said.

“As a regulatory body, we have identified the need to amend the existing Telecommunication Act which would enable more technological advancements. This would also facilitate convergence of the media with the telecommunication sector as both fields are interconnected”, he said.

The amended Act would allow new technologies to be implemented within the country without any hindrance and also protect the public from any misuse or criminal activities in relation to the telecommunications sector.

Several new Acts such as the Electronic Transaction Act and the Prevention of Computer Crimes Act to underpin the amendments in the Act have been implemented, he said.

The Government has received credit from the International Development Association towards the cost of the e-Sri Lanka Development project. Steps have been taken to ensure accessibility to basic telecommunication facilities in rural and remote areas. Over 600 Nenasala centres have been set up islandwide and 3,500 computer laboratories have been provided in schools.

A project will be launched to provide laptops for school children in the near future. Research studies in the field of telecommunication will be carried out with the support of universities for capacity building.

A research laboratory will be set up for the betterment of the industry, Kariyapperuma said.

The year 2009 has been declared as the Year of ICT and English. We had a conflict for the first six months of the year and we need more time to pay attention to this important theme. Sri Lanka has a world-class telecom network. All stakeholders have played a major role in this development, he said.