DEVELOPMENT — UNIVERSAL ACCESS/SERVICE

Pushpa Réne Amarasiri
Active collaborator on ITU-D Study Group Question 7-1/1 on Universal access/service. Ms Amarasiri is also the Director of Legal Affairs and Acting Director of Economic Affairs in the Telecommunicaitons Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka

ITU 030112

The ITU Telecommunication Development Study Groups (ITU-D SG) are carrying out a study on “Universal access/service” for the benefit of developing countries, particularly least developed countries. This article draws on a country report that has been contributed to the study.

Changing environment

With the winds of change sweeping across the telecommunication landscape in Sri Lanka, telecommunication service options will no longer be with the business community and the privileged few alone. A telephone has ceased to be a luxury in this small tropical island in the Indian Ocean, off the southern tip of the Indian Peninsular — separated from India by a narrow strip of shallow water, the Palk Strait.

Universal access in the early days of the telegraph

The spread of telecommunications in Sri Lanka dates back to 1858 when the first telegraph circuit was commissioned in Colombo and was linked to Galle in the Southern Province and Kandy in the Central Province, with a subsequent extension to South India. In the early 1940s, the Telecommunications Engineering Branch of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications installed and maintained, free-of-charge, 949 radio receivers on a pilot project for education, cultural, religious and entertainment purposes. These receivers were installed at community centres, village committee offices, schools, subpost offices, temples and churches and worked on batteries. During festivities in the outback area, radiotelegraph links were established in the rural subpost offices to send and receive telegrams using the Morse code.

In recent years

Telecommunication policies have been changing constantly in the past few years, opening up the market to competition. These changes can be described as “not too fast not too soon”. With the growth in fixed and mobile telephone services, people were given options to select operators of their choice. Statistics from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka show that the teledensity has been increasing steadily since 1998, with record highs in 2001 and 2002 (see Figure 1). And Internet and e-mail services are expanding rapidly. The opening up of the market attracted foreign investment in both fixed and cellular services.

There must be clear policies in place, and it is for the regulators to apply unambiguous rules, ensuring a return on investment for companies, by maximizing opportunities for competition and preventing anti-competitive practices — specially by the dominant operators. Sri Lanka is now in the process of drawing up rules to prevent anti-competitive practices, in consultation with the industry and other relevant organizations.

Payphones

A study revealed that 70 per cent of the fixed access telephones were located in the country’s Western Province and of which 60 per cent were in the Colombo metro area. As a result, the rural and remote communities remained unserved. There were inaccessible areas as well in the North and East of Sri Lanka. As an answer to communication needs, off the beaten track, the Commission made a public policy recommendation to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in 1998. The payphone subsidy of USD 515 was offered for each incremental payphone installed outside municipal and urban areas. Recently, the subsidy was increased to USD 773 per incremental payphone. These payphones will provide unlimited access for all; 24 hours-a-day.

There was a decline in the payphone operations in 2001 and 2002 (see Figure 2), notwithstanding the subsidy offered to the service providers. Two of the re-sellers of payphone services are not providing these services at present.

Rural telecentres

The demand for telecommunication services in the rural areas is mainly for communication and exchange of information. The telecentres were accepted with much enthusiasm by the rural folk. These provided the much-needed telecommunication facilities for rural schools, temples, healthcare centres, farmers and villagers. Most of these telecentres were accessible to people living in higher terrains and those who are subjected to unpredictable weather conditions.

Communication facilities for 590 rural subpost offices

The original plan was to provide telecommunication facilities to 110 rural subpost offices such as telephones and facsimile. On the directive of the Minister of Mass Communication, the target was increased to provide service to 590 subpost offices in different districts of Sri Lanka. Service providers could provide services using alternate technological solutions such as point-to-multipoint by radio, VSATs (very small aperture terminals) and DECT (digitally enhanced cordless telecommunications ) — a cordless phone directed towards a base station of any operator or by wireline.

In most of these rural areas, there is no electricity; but power can be supplied from solar panels. Frequencies will be on AMPS (advanced mobile phone system 800-900 MHz).

Telecommunication facilities for people with special needs

The importance of a telephone for persons with disabilities should be more widely recognized.

Although the architects who drew up the licences incorporated many important social obligations, such conditions lay dormant for many years.

Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 of 1996 gives the legislative basis for such provisions. In the real sense, it is important for us to find out whether their needs and aspirations have been fulfilled. The project commenced in the latter part of 2001 to encourage the fixed-access operators to provide services to people with special needs and the elderly.

It was agreed by payphone service providers that special attention should be given to the dimension of wheelchairs available locally when constructing payphone booths. There must be sufficient ground space for a forward or parallel approach by a wheelchair user and the highest part of the telephone to be within the easy reach of a wheelchair user.

Recognizing the importance of basic telephone facilities, particularly for people who never go out due to some form of disability and those who go out with assistance on rare occasions, it was considered necessary by all service providers to make available telephone facilities at concessional rates. The Department of Social Services will help us to identify such people.

Already, telecommunication facilities are provided to Ranaviru villages. Those that have access to these facilities include “Homes for children with disabilities”, “Vocational Training Centres for young children with disabilities”, and “Homes for elders”. All the country’s three fixed-access operators have now commenced a process to issue Braille bills. For the first time in Sri Lanka, assistive technologies will be used to provide telecommunication services for the hearing-impaired citizens. Payphones are installed within easy reach of wheelchair users, mainly in airports and shopping centres. Telephone directories, in future, will carry a special supplement and the international symbol for the disabled will be exhibited where telecommunication facilities are available for such people.

As the Ranaviru Villages and Centres for People with disabilities are located in rural areas, the people living in the vicinity could benefit from the availability of payphones and other communication facilities.

Rural information technology kiosks

The first Rural Information Technology Kiosk was opened recently to enable people in the rural areas to gain fast access to the Internet and to the latest telecommunication services. It is also proposed that these kiosks be run by people with disabilities. The use of the Internet and e-mail per 1000 persons in Sri Lanka is 3.7 per cent, according to year 2002 statistics.

ADSL broadband access

Sri Lanka Telecom commenced the first phase of its roll-out plan providing innovative broadband access technologies, such as the asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) for residential and business users in the country. This is a great advantage to Internet users as the services would be available always, without the need to log on and with unlimited access.

The Government’s e-Sri Lanka Programme

“e-Sri Lanka, Smart People, Smart Island Programme” became a reality with the passing of the ICT Bill in Parliament recently. The establishment of the Information and Communication Agency (ICT Agency) is essential, as information technology is the key to developing the country and linking it globally. The Government is certain that the ICT Agency would help to uplift the living standards of our people.

Quality of service rules

Sri Lanka’s Telecommunication Act No. 25 of 1991 (as amended) states that the Commission should take such regulatory measures (including the issue of directives) as may be necessary to monitor the quality of service (QoS) provided by operators. The Commission is also to ensure that services conform to the standards of QoS specified by rules. It is imperative, therefore, that connections provided conform to service quality standards. Quality of service is an essential factor to be considered in the provision of universal access/services. And proper monitoring of QoS is important to protect consumers from monopoly power.

In August 2001, Quality of Service Standards Rules were gazetted in the Telecommunication Act. The rules were made after conducting a consumer survey in various districts. Information obtained from operators are monitored constantly by the Commission, and such information is published on a quarterly basis for the consumers’ benefit (see Figure 3). It was expected that these QoS indicators would cover the major concerns of consumers with regard to services provided. According to Claire Milne “a fall in quality of service is a hidden price increase”. When providing universal access/service, it is important to monitor the quality of services provided; as people should have affordable access to good quality services.

Indigenous community

Sri Lanka’s indigenous people are called Veddahs or forest dwellers. They are considered to be the direct descendents from the island’s original Neolithic community dating back to 14000 B.C. or earlier.

In the ancient times, the indigenous people had very powerful chiefs and possessed hoards of gold and gems.

Although the Veddah elders were keen to preserve their ancient traditions, presently thousands of them have been absorbed into the mainstream community. In the past, to communicate with others, they beat drums or lit fires. With the changing lifestyles of the community, most have joined the teaching profession and some have started to use mobile telephones to communicate with people outside their territory.

Conclusion

The ultimate goal of the Government of Sri Lanka is to achieve targets set for universal access/services by concentrating on increasing the teledensity in the rural and remote areas. The intention of the Government is to develop technology-neutral policies for the future. Telecommunication services, at present, are also available to indigenous people (cellular mobile services), people with disabilities and the elderly. Policies will be designed to encourage local competition, giving consumers a better deal.

Universal access/service

A hands-on experience