Ministry introduces 3G technology to supply phone connection in one day

Minister signs memorandum with Indian company

Rasika Somarathna

KATUGAMPOLA: Applicants for domestic telephone connections are in for a windfall as the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications have drawn up plans to install phone lines in a single day without prior registration.

The Ministry has signed a memorandum with an Indian company to introduce phone connections with the latest 3-G technology, said the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications D. M. Jayarathna at the opening ceremony of the new post office at Katugampola in Gonawila.

"The Government Telecom industry has been in the forefront when introducing the latest technology giving a quality service in comparison with the latest techno innovations in the global market. We have to be sensitive to Global trends in this ever changing industry and bring the latest technology before it gets stale". The Minister said the total cost of this project was around Rs. 18 million.

According to the Minister, the newly opened Post office site is to be expanded as a service complex bringing most of the Government offices in the area under one roof. A commercial complex too has been planned giving the option to the people in the area to get all their requirements done under one roof.

Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said this facility would act as a catalyst to development in the area providing a large number of employment as well as business opportunities to local entrepreneurs in the area.The Minister added that a large number of CDMA phone connections are already in use in the area.

Meanwhile, Minister Jayarathna laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new Postal complex in Palaviya in Puttalam last week.

The Minister said when he assumed duties there were 730,000 applicants in the waiting list to get phone connections and since then the Telecom Department had been able to provide phone lines to more than 60 per cent of applicants.The Minister vowed to streamline the postal service by introducing new technology with the aim of providing a more viable service to the public.