Sri Lanka Telecom plans to introduce CDMA Broadband technology to Sri Lanka

Posted on August 3, 2007 / 8 Comments

Daily News – Friday, 3 August 2007

In a press conference held yesterday to announce South Asia’s first Broadband Communications Congress and Expo (SABCCE) General Manager/ Head of Consumer Market Development Division of Sri Lanka Telecom SLT M.Z Saleem said CDMA Broadband technology will be introduced to the local market by SLT soon.

Most of the service providers in the local telecommunication industry are in the process of introducing this technology to the market. However the equipment needs higher investments for introducing this technology,
he said.

‘Broadband communications are very cost effective. It provides high-speed data transformation to the users, he said. The SABCCE will be held from September 4 to 6 in Colombo. The SABCCE will establish ties between decision makers of broadband industry in the region and provide the forum for sharing information and experiences.

Executive Director of Lirneasia Prof. Rohan Samarajiva said broadband communications are important for the country’s economy. These technologies will help businesses to be much more competitive in the market.
‘When using broadband communications people face technical problems and regulatory problems. SABCCE will provide the platform to discuss and share knowledge among the countries in the region on using broadband communications.
We need to have these type of congress in Sri Lanka, he said.

8 Comments

samarajiva
August 5, 2007, 1:44 am
The title of this post is simply a repeat of the Daily News; it is not a claim by LIRNEasia that SLTL is actually going to offer CDMA Broadband, which would be understood by most people as WCDMA and CDMA 2000 EVDO.

We would appreciate a clarification from SLTL and possibly TRCSL on what frequencies are going to be used by SLTL for this service. If that information is available, we can then talk about whether it’s real broadband or not.
Senthi Maree
August 6, 2007, 9:46 am
Why is Sri Lanka focusing on CDMA2000 EVDO which is a mobile comms standard to provide fixed broadband wireless access? Whereas the rest of the world is now focusing on Wi-Max which yeilds a far better throughput, because it uses superior modulation and antenna technology. Can’t the regulatory think of better ways to utilize the frequency spectrum?
Damith
August 12, 2007, 3:26 am
Cc Chairman Regulatory Commission
Copy to DGT

Cc Secretary Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications

Dear Mr. Blog Master
Remedying the Malaise of Sri Lanka’s Broad Band Access Service
Blog http://www.lirneasia.net/2006/05/100000-adsl-connections-how-about-speed/

On trying to reach ADSL blog at http://www.lirneasia.net/2006/05/100000-adsl-connections-I find that it has been made to DISAPPEAR from your main page but instead two new blogs on related subjects, CDMA in Sri Lanka and Problems in ADSL UK are featured on the main page. You may think its a smart ruse to prevent the public reading the ADSL users’ views and distract focus on the PIPU that caused the problem.

Your ruse, diverting the users’ attention to the blogs on CDMA seem NOT to CARE for the plight of the poor rural user who have got wire line connections at an enormous cost. According to you they should now pay for another CDMA connection to access the internet : A typical salesman tactic of an expert on Policy: create a problem to market its services

It is evident from your numerous reports essentially reproduced material, that measure of success of sector development is assessed only by the aggregate volume of expenses but not by its productivity So it is not surprising that the PIPU headed by you spent nearly US$ 35 million of the taxpayers money without any accountability to the public and providing reports of no output . To evade responsibility of its dismal failure in your comments you now put the blame on Mr Ranil Wickremaisinghe (Mr R,W) though at the time unknown to Mr RW , you wielded your authority on the Regulator asserting that you are PM’s adviser

It is unfortunate that your pitiless soul does not realize that the rural sector could have been expanded by well over 150,000 lines with the US$ 35 million spent by the PIPU . Furthermore in the absence of the PIPU’s collusive recommendation, the ADSL market would have been opened up for competition, Sri Lankans would have benefited from free modems, free mail boxes, lower ADSL charges, and also from free or lower rates for international and domestic calls. This is just but one instance of harm done to the sector from PIPU’s numerous highly costly and infinitely unproductive consultancies

For the sake of the consumers of the Sri Lanka : the oppressed ADSL users; the large numbers of the deplorably poor quality dial up internet users and the vast numbers hoping for affordable access to the internet – all victims of the ruthlessly imposturous deeds of the PIPU misleading the then Govt of Mr Ranil Wickeramasingha – I am compelled to quote reference to my reply to your comments at the blog on 100000-adsl-connections in the blogs on CDMA in Sri Lanka and Problems in ADSL UK

I suggest readers to visit my comments given at 47 and 50 of the blog http://www.lirneasia.net/2006/05/100000-adsl-connections and offer your support to protect Sri Lanka from the menace of these on going exploitations

Damith
samarajiva
August 14, 2007, 2:26 pm
Dear Dr Damith W.

There is no conspiracy. Wikipedia defines a blog as “a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.”

The LIRNEasia website is a blog. As we add new entries, the old ones get pushed down by the more recent ones. One can designate certain posts to not get pushed down (“sticky” posts), but we rarely do that (exceptions are announcements re courses and positions). The CDMA post will also get pushed down and move to an archival page.

We find that few people access the blog content through the front page; many use google or come through various links directly to specific posts.

We generally find that discussion on the blog clears up many misconceptions (true in some cases, but not all). I was surprised that you are now e-mailing Ministers and newspaper editors about the blog. Some good may come of it, if they read your mail and check out the website.

I have just returned from four days away from the web. When I find a bit of time and get the urgent stuff dealt with, I will respond to your comments on ADSL on that thread itself.
Shinya Matsumoto
August 14, 2007, 9:08 pm
It seems from several of Samrajiv san’s, comments at no 38 of the blog that he is making great effort to show that Arcullis was only responsible for the liberalization of the international gateway and not the local loop unbundling but ignores that it is precisely what I said “The job of the consultants is one thing, that is regarding interconnection and opening of International Services but they recommend something outside against international practice also” At the sane time Mr Samrajiv San also says that unbundling in several countries was not so successful meaning that there was nothing wrong in the Arculli Recommendation

I am no expert in Policy as Samarajiva San thinks but Telecom expert friend helps me As an economist I know the importance of competition, qualitative and quantitative wise on the market and the well being of the society. I am shocked when Samarajiva San now tells in his comment at 49 that the SLT license does not permit the unbundling of local loop. If that is so why did he allow the highly paid Arculli to spend time in preparing recommendations not to un-bundle the local loop given at R23 of their report which again is outside the term of reference

Mr Samarajiva san having tried to put the blame on the license – may be he suspects that it is not good enough to confuse the public – next tries to place the blame on Mr Ranil San whom I believe is the Minister he was advising, for accepting the Arculli recommendations put up by him as the Minster’s trustworthy adviser’

I am told Arculli is a well known International firm and it troubles me to find that at least Samarajiva San did not correct Arculli report if the license of SLT does not allow unbundling. My expert friend feels that it is yet another soothing melody from Canada.-may be from the Malroony era He says it is a not a song or joke but one that nicely fiddle to block effective competition in international telephone service the reason for which I have explained in my earlier comment.

When I tried to post my comment I find that ADSL blog has vanished from your main page but instead two new blogs on similar subjects that try to shift the attention from the Sri Lankan ADSL problem is now appearing on your web So I am posting my comments onto both blogs

However my Sri Lankan friends and others known to them say it is important to get first hand feedback from the public and talking about other markets will not helpful to solve the problem They now worry based on the information given in these two blogs that local loop unbundling will be given up and they will have to give up their wired connection for which they have spent very much -often more than Rs 65000 and get wireless CDMA to access to the Internet

My Sri Lankan friends say only very few of the large number of Sri Lankans without Internet connectivity access has access to Internet Cafes from where they browse and email. Gathering public opinion with the help of the news papers they say is therefore important and wish me to make a request to the TRCSL to help them So I am copying this mail also to him My friend will send this mail also to several news papers
bala
March 25, 2008, 8:40 pm
http://www.slt.lk Srilanka Telecom – S L T / Jaffna.
C D M A Fixed Wireless Phone (F W P) Pre Paid Connection Tariff .
No Monthly Rental, No Daily Rental, No Startup Fee, No PrePaid Connection Fee .
S L T To S L T
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *2.90 *1.90 *0.90
National *3.90 *2.90 *1.90
* The above charges are excluding of VAT 20 % . 2009 .
S L T To Other Operators
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *3.90 *2.90 *1.90
National *4.90 *3.90 *2.90
Peak Time – : ( 7.00 am – 6.00 pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Standard Time : ( 6.00 pm – 9.00 pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Off Peak Time : ( 9.00 pm 7.00 am ) Monday to Saturday – Evevery Sundays & PB Holidays .

What is CDMA ?
CDMA is an innovative wireless technology which is used to provide voice & data, & can be easily deployed to provide telecommunication service.

http://www.slt.lk Srilanka Telecom – S L T / Jaffna.
C D M A Fixed Wireless Phone (F W P) Monthly Rental Connection Tariff .

The Rental for Wireless Technology Based Residential Customers will be Rs. 395.00 Home Connection . No Startup Fee . No Connection Fee .

S LT To S L T
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *1.00 *0.30 *0.05
National *1.50 *0.50 *0.10
* The above charges are excluding of VAT. 20 % . 2008 .
S L T To Other Operators
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *2.00 *1.00 *0.20
National *3.40 *2.00 *0.60
Peak Time : —- ( 7.00am – 6.00pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Standard Time : ( 6.00pm – 9.00pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Off Peak Time : ( 9.00pm 7.00am ) Monday to Saturday – Evevery Sundays & PB Holidays .
Jun Kwan
August 12, 2008, 2:04 pm
To be dead honest, as a worker in Sri Lanka from overseas, I can tell you, i have no idea why SLT uses CDMA, it is understandable that sometimes that “dish” of WiMax may attract thurderstrikes (LOL funny things happen like that in here) but SLT as a leading Telecom company only capped 512/128 connections to home user, yet quality is very poor and a frequent disconnection will occur every single day. It is pretty much hopeless to have a better connection in here, another company provide WiMax technology but it is also funny to see that, the satallite dish does not receive a signal. I live in the center of Colombo, funny how signals are so weak that the Signal Tower’s so close yet i cannot receive a signal :)
sanjeewa
March 26, 2009, 2:48 pm
Dear sir/madam.

S LT To S L T
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *1.00 *0.30 *0.05
National *1.50 *0.50 *0.10
* The above charges are excluding of VAT. 20 % . 2008

S L T To Other Operators
Peak Rate
(Rs./Min.) Standard
(Rs./Min.) Off Peak
(Rs./Min.)
Local *2.00 *1.00 *0.20
National *3.40 *2.00 *0.60
Peak Time : —- ( 7.00am – 6.00pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Standard Time : ( 6.00pm – 9.00pm ) Monday to Saturday .
Off Peak Time : ( 9.00pm 7.00am ) Monday to Saturday – Evevery Sundays & PB Holidays .

that rates are new up dates data or old out going call charges now rates valied call rates.
How change call charges out of area ( special Mobile Network Line )and fixed phone line.plese i want it charges.Plese send to me mail.

Thank for you,
Sanjeewa.