Information Technology in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Telecommunication Development Plans
- Sri Lanka has ambitious plans to expand its telecommunications service. The plan calls for installation of 160,000 new telephone lines in rural areas and in colombo during the 1996-98 period.
- A nation of more than 18 million people, Sri Lanka currently has only 170,000 telephone lines. Of this amount, fully 150,000 are in Colombo, the capital city. However the country plans to have 800,000 by the year 2000. Tenders were called in 1994 to supply 150,000 new lines in Colombo and other major towns. In addition there are plans to install 100,000 new lines in rural areas and 60,000 new lines in Colombo during the 1996-98 period.
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the sole operator of public phones in Sri Lanka, plans to install 100,000 new telephone lines in rural areas through parallel projects of 50,000 lines each. The projects include the supplyand installation of subscriber stations, external plants, switching, transmission and related equipment. Each project is estimated to cost around $100 million. The foreign exchange component is estimated at $ 56 million and is expected to be financed by international donors.
SLT hopes to obtain cabinet approval for the two projects by the end of 1994. Once approval is obtained, feasability studies and other preparatory works will begin. SLT is expected to call for bids on the projects by mid 1996 and the projects are expected to be completed within two years.
Last updated on March 6, 1996 by Ms. Nishanthi Mendis
The URL of this page is located at http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/mogit/nm9903a/deve.html
