Sri Lanka’s premier communication service provider, Sri Lanka Telecom announced the latest addition to its growing portfolio of high-speed Internet solutions with the Entrée package on ADSL technology. It provides the latest technology for broadband Internet access and comprises a downloading capability of 512Kbps and an uploading capability of 128Kbps as well as a volume of 1 GB free every month. The monthly rental is priced at an affordable Rs1000/= with one time joining fee of Rs500/= and Rs250/= being charged for an additional 250MB.
The key feature of the new ADSL entrée package is its volume-based service for Internet usage. SLT’s island wide Broadband network enables high-speed Internet access to the suburbs and rural areas of Sri Lanka. Existing ADSL customers have the option to migrate from the package they are currently using to the new entrée package. Also new services such as ADSL 2+, IP TV, Video on Demand (VoD) and security services are also in SLT’s product pipeline in the very near future.
SLT invested in the development of broadband infrastructure with a view of making Sri Lanka a broadband island, as well as in recognition that it is an important vehicle in achieving the government’s vision of e-Sri Lanka and e-Society. SLT’s ongoing 100000 ADSL expansion project also allows SLT to offer triple play services such as broadband voice based services, which includes VoIP, IPTV, Video on Demand (VoD), e-Learning, security services and gaming, with local content providing cutting-edge services. Globally 500% growth of broadband, which is a vital utility for both business and residence entities, is recorded and SLT ADSL shows the same trend in Sri Lanka, growing to over 100% per annum during the past three years.
Commenting on new broadband package, SLT’s Chief Corporate Officer, Mrs. Pat Abayasekara stated: “Today SLT offers ADSL to major cities. Currently we are involved with making ADSL available in other regions of the country. It is important to increase the IT literacy in rural Sri Lanka with sufficient applications on Internet focusing on them in order to make broadband viable for expanding in to regions. We are grateful of TRCSL's speedy approval, granting us the opportunity to launch this customer friendly package in a short period of time. This is happening today with all the ICT initiatives with the Government support and we will see promising technology transfer in to rural Sri Lanka soon.”
SLT ADSL allows the computer user at home or office to access the Internet at a faster speed, downloading information faster than it uploads, which is more useful when browsing the Internet. Using standard copper wires a telephone uses, it takes the user off the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), connecting onto the Internet or any other connected data network online. Providing real time connectivity, it is more reliable than analog and ISDN access, allowing the user to serve information and e-mail services directly.
Today, the ADSL technology has evolved in to new enhanced versions like ADSL2 with a maximum speed of 15 Mbit/s and ADSL2+ with a maximum speed of 24 Mbit/s. In terms of broadband service, ADSL supports a downstream bandwidth of up to 8 Mbit/s and upstream bandwidth of up to 800 Kbit/s. Such broadband Internet service is what today’s business require to achieve measurable productivity gains in e-business.
Significant among its features is that it not only preserves regular phone service without installing new copper wires for Internet access, but also enables the use of the same line to make or receive phone calls simultaneously, without interference. Splitters on either side will split the telephone voice carried on the same twisted pair line. It also enables the existing copper based wire line network used for the telephone to provide high-speed Internet access and other voice, with video services based on DSL technology.
Sri Lanka Telecom (www.slt.lk) is one of the country's most valuable blue chip companies with an annual turnover in excess of Rs37 billion. The SLT Group has a customer base of over two million including multinational corporations, large and small corporate, retail and domestic customers. Today with NTT Communications of Japan as a strategic partner, SLT provides facilities and services: voice, data, video and mobile to its customers, which are unmatched in scope. These services range from domestic and international voice, advanced data transmission services which include internet services on leased lines, broadband [on ADSL] and dial up, data circuits, frame relay solutions to IP services such as IP-VPN based on IP-MPLS technology, total corporate solutions of multiple services, satellite uplink services and mobile telephony through the fully owned subsidiary Mobitel.
SLT is in the process of introducing the necessary infrastructure in the form of NGN [Next Generation Networks] using optical fibre backbone and broadband services such as IMS, IPTV etc. SLT also provides high speed global connectivity to countries in the South Asian region through its investments in international submarine cables such as SMW3, SMW4 and the Bharat Lanka submarine cable [between India and Sri Lanka] and Dhirragu-SLT submarine cable system between Maldive Islands and Sri Lanka. Newly incorporated SLT Hong Kong Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom is fully geared to provide services such as IP transit, IPVPN, IPLC and International voice traffic transit services to global telecom operators and corporates in Hong Kong.
