Friday, June 09, 2006

Sri Lanka Telecom, the nation’s premier telecommunications provider, signed an agreement with international chipmaker, Intel Corporation to deploy a Co-Marketing program for the new wireless broadband solution, WiMAX. Intel is developing computer chips for WiMAX customer premises equipments (CPEs).

Speaking after the signing, SLT CEO, Shuhei Anan said that this technology can provide the platform for the next generation of Internet expansion throughout the island. “Sri Lanka will experience high speed connectivity and before long, we will be a broadband island,” he added. The WiMAX network would be part of the telecom giant’s overall strategy to connect the entire island with Next Generation Network (NGN), with its new CDMA network, fibre backbone and other infrastructure, all used to service the different needs of the end consumer. Currently SLT has been allocated test frequencies for its trial wireless network, with pilot base stations in several locations.

SLT WiMAX project manager Mr. Tilak De Silva added that SLT has the confidence for deployment of WiMAX at any time once the Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC) clearance obtained for frequencies. Under the agreement with Intel SLT will get the advantage of obtaining the updated knowledge of WiMAX   by different events and knowledge bases of Intel. In return SLT will have to provide WIMAX services to customers with the equipments made with Intel chips also.

Indika de Zoysa, Intel representative in Sri Lanka said that Intel's WiMAX silicon delivers the features needed to provide cost-effective, high-speed wireless modems for homes and businesses. He added that as a standards-based, high-speed Internet access solution, WiMAX can prepare the industry for the next wave of wireless technology.

Worldwide Interoperability for Micro Wave Access (WiMAX) is an emerging technology using radio frequencies to give wireless broadband access (instead of Copper wires) to the customers. WiMAX is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances. WiMAX can be used for a number of applications, including "last mile" broadband connections for hotspots and cellular backhaul, and high-speed enterprise connectivity for business. It enables for voice, high speed internet connectivity, email, fax, data and services such as audio and video streaming. In Sri Lanka, the Standard WiMax is going to use the  3.5 GHz frequency band.

Sri Lanka Telecom (www.slt.lk) is one of the country’s most valuable blue chip companies with an annual turnover in excess of Rs.30 billion. The group of company has a customer base of over one million including multinational corporations, large and small corporates, retail and domestic customers. Today with NTT of Japan as a strategic partner, SLT provides facilities and services to its customers, which are unmatched in scope. These services range from domestic and international voice, advance data transmission services which include internet services on leased lines, broadband [on ADSL] and dial up, data circuits, frame relay solutions, to IP based services such as IP-VPN, total solutions of combination of multiple services, satellite uplink services and mobile telephony through fully owned subsidiary Mobitel etc. Going forward, in view of making broadband island of Sri Lanka, SLT has already taken initiatives to place necessary infrastructure, NGN networks to introduce broadband services such as IMS, IPTV etc. to Sri Lankan people. The company was also awarded an AAA (sri) rating by Fitch Ratings Lanka followed by a BB- international rating by Fitch International and Standard & Poor’s.