TRC of Sri Lanka to Allow Spectrum sharing & Domestic Roaming for Lower Broadband Tariffs

28th March 2013, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka is allowing spectrum sharing and domestic roaming to promote shared resources and cut costs so that broadband tariffs can be kept low, the telecom regulator said.

"We are allowing spectrum sharing," director general of the telecommunications regulatory commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) Anusha Pelpita said.

"We will not regulate their tariffs but they will have to apply to us. This will help keep costs down and subscribers will get lower tariffs."

Domestic roaming has already been recently permitted and Airtel and Etisalat have started to allow customers to roam on each others' network, he said.

Dialog on Thursday paid 3.2 billion rupees for a 10MegaHertz paired frequencies block in the 1800MHz band paying 2.0 billion rupees higher than the next bidder, in an auction which had a floor price of 3.2 billion rupees.

Pelpita said the frequencies are expected to be used in the rollout of fourth generation LTE (long term evolution) high speed mobile broadband services.

The 1800 spectrum was allocated for GSM (2G) services by the International Telecommunications Unions, but can be used for 4G.

The 75MHz of paired bandwidth in the frequency band (or 150MHz in the band which runs from 1700 through 1800 MHz has now been allocated to operators.

Dialog Already had a 15MHz block, Mobitel had 20, Etisalat, Hutch and Airtel each had 7.5MHz each and another 7.5MHz allocated to a firm which did not have a network was in court.

Except for the 7.5MHz which was in dispute the entire band has now been allocated to operators, he said.

"Spectrum sharing will allow more efficient use of the resource," Pelpita said.

Operators can set their own prices, but those planning to share spectrum must first apply to the Telecom Regulatory Commission, he said.

In Sri Lanka the 900MHz band, which is used for mobile broadband elsewhere is occupied by television broadcasters, but the band may become free after digital broadcasting starts Pelpita said.

Unlike other countries which raised billions of dollars Sri Lanka has a policy of keeping frequency fees relatively low.

Pelpita said he wanted to promote broadband use and in Sri Lanka fixed broadband penetration was low, though mobile was picking up.

"We have allowed frequency sharing because that will also keep costs down, so that retail tariffs will be more affordable," he said.

"Domestic roaming will also reduce costs as operators can save on network expenditure."

Sri Lanka Telecom, which had been licensed to build the national telecom backbone, has to allow other operators to use the pipes on regulated tariffs.

Related Info :

• Colombo Lotus Tower Ground Preparation Starts. Nelum Kuluna to be South Asia's Tallest Tower

• Telcos Invest $300mn in Sri Lanka as TRC Aims to Up Last Year's Rs120bn Revenue

• Sri Lanka Dialog Invests $150mn on Fibre & Broadband Network Expansion

• Sri Lanka Telco Mobitel Invests $60mn on LTE, the Latest Standard in Mobile Network Technology

FM Radio Channel Frequency Allocation in Sri Lanka by Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRCSL)

30th October 2012, www.dailymirror.lk

All the 45 FM broadcasting channels, operating in the country will be shifting their FM radio frequencies with effect from November 1, after Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) re-allocated radio frequencies in an effort to minimise the technical problems hindering the listeners from obtaining a clear sound reception.

The TRCSL is vested with full powers to determine and allocate the use of FM frequencies among radio broadcasters within Sri Lanka. At present there are about 45 FM broadcasting channels which operate within the 87.5 - 108 MHz frequency range.

“The TRCSL prepared a new transparent plan to re-allocate the frequencies among the FM channels taking into account the frequencies used by them at present. This was done on the basis of a national policy to reform the existing system, with the objective of minimising the practical problems currently confronting both the radio broadcasters and the listeners,” TRCSL Director General Anusha Pelpita said in a statement.

The statement said under the new plan, the frequencies have been allocated in such a manner to ensure that all FM radio channels could be accessed with ease and sound broadcast from these radio channels is clearly received and heard by the listeners without loss of quality in any part of the island, including remote areas.

“The existing frequency separation of 100 khz between two channels has now been increased to 300KHz. This new arrangement will enable the radio listeners to get a clearer reception in any part of the country from any single frequency,” the statement said.

Colombo Lotus Tower Ground Preparation Starts. Nelum Kuluna to be South Asia's Tallest Tower

18th January 2012, www.trc.gov.lk

A sod cutting ceremony to mark the preparation of the site for the construction of the Colombo Lotus Tower, a concept of His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse, was held on January 17, 2012 under the distinguished patronage of Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Chairman of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Secretary to His Excellency the President, upon the invitation of Mr. Anusha Palpita, Director – General of the TRCSL.

Among the large gathering present to witness the ceremony were officials of the TRCSL, Project Consultants namely Professor Nimal de Silva, Prof. Samitha Manawadu, and Prof. Chitra Weddikkara, Chief Co - ordinator of the Project, Major Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe, Project Co - ordinator (Special Projects) TRCSL, Mr. W.Dharmasiri De Alwis, Deputy Director – General of the CEIEC, Mr. Geo Wei, Officials of the Land Reclamation and Development Authority and Officials of the Urban Development Authority.

Related Info :

• Construction to Start on 350metre $103mn Lotus Tower in February. Seven Level Colombo TV Tower Project by TRCSL

Construction to Start on 350metre $103mn Lotus Tower in February. Seven Level Colombo TV Tower Project by TRCSL

05th January 2011, www.dailynews.lk, Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

The final Bill Of Quantities (BOQ) of the proposed Colombo TV tower project is now being finalized.

The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) expects to start construction work of the tower next month.

The 350-metre tower in Peliyagoda will be constructed with an investment of US $ 103 million. This Lotus Tower will be the latest in the country with seven levels, TRCSL Director General Anusha Palpita told Daily News Business.

The tower is scheduled to be completed within 30 months and will be managed by a public company owned by the TRCSL.

Its shares will be issued to the public once the construction process is completed.

The country has sufficient TV and radio stations to match the frequencies available and we are in the process of re-aligning the radio frequencies to provide a better service to customers. A committee is appointed to study the situation, as at present there are more stations than the country can afford.

“A specialized team of engineers is working on this matter to provide a solution,” he said.

Though there is no room for another mobile service provider the TRCSL will take measures to introduce a player to the market in the event the present mobile industrialists fail to increase broadband penetration in the country.

The TRCSL’s aim is to increase penetration in urban and rural areas, as there is low penetration currently.

The TRCSL is concerned about the broadband speed provided by operators and to ascertain the speed subscribers will have the opportunity of speed testing utility from their own network shortly.

It is in the process of carrying out the initial work on the formulation of a national policy on broadband to enable an effective service, Palpita said.

Malaysia Eyeing SL’s First Satellite with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)

23rd December 2009, www.thebottomline.lk, By Santhush Fernando

The nation’s Telecommunication industry watchdog- Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), is considering ‘Expression of Interest’ by two Malaysian companies to partner Sri Lanka’s space communication programme.

Speaking to The Bottom Line, a high ranking TRCSL official said that Dialog Telekom’s parent company- Malaysia-based Axiata Group, along with Maxis Group, which bought a stake in Sri Lanka Telecom have expressed their intention in investing in the Rs 17 billion communication satellite project.

Completing the only necessity lacking to fulfil a superior technology system, Sri Lanka is now ready to step into the world of satellite communications, with TRCSL planning to establish the Sri Lanka Space Agency (SLASA) as a basic step towards acquiring satellite capability, upon becoming part of the Acquisition of National Satellite Capability. Through the SLASA, the satellite capability will be acquired from the Surrey satellite based in the University of Surrey, UK. SLASA plans to collaborate with ISRO of India, NASA of USA, JAXA of Japan and other space agencies throughout the world.

According to TRCSL Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma, already, Asian countries such as South Korea and Malaysia, and even countries such as Nigeria have launched their own satellites.

British satellite specialist firm- Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) is to advise the Sri Lankan government on the establishment of its national space programme, implemented under the SLASA.

SSTL has been contracted by TRCSL to develop its own space capability and its first communications satellite, SSTL announced on November 17. SSTL is a spin-off company of the University of Surrey, now fully owned by EADS Astrium that builds and operates small satellites. Its satellites began as amateur radio satellites- UoSAT (University of Surrey Satellite) and OSCAR (Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) designation. SSTL cooperates with the University’s Surrey Space Centre, which does research into satellite and space topics.

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting of the University of Surrey and Executive Chairman of SSTL, have signed a landmark agreement. The economic benefits resulting from space based communications include Television, broadband services and earth observation applications are substantial and will positively contribute to the country’s development as a “high-tech” trading nation.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), SSTL will provide an Earth observation capability and start work on a geostationary communications satellite. By partnering with SSTL for Earth observation, Sri Lanka will become an important member of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), with the ability to participate in international disaster relief support activities coordinated by the United Nations, through the International Charter.

Maxis Group’s satellite division- MEASAT, launched the MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 communications satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in 1996. The launch of MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 led to a rapid increase in Malaysian infrastructure development, both in telecommunication and broadcasting industries, including the launch of the first world’s digital Direct-To-Home (DTH) Multi-Channel TV Service, Astro. MEASAT became independent in 1998 and undertaking a reverse takeover of Malaysian Tobacco Company (MTC) in 2001, renaming the holding company MEASAT Global Berhad, and the operating Company MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd, the company came of age.