Sept 09, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has a 'digital president' who is strongly backing the spread of information communications technology (ICT) in the country, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) chief Toure Hamadoun said.
"A sound regulatory environment is key for market growth," Hamadoun told an Asia Pacific GSM (global system for mobile communications) Association meeting in Colombo.
"For that you will need a strong backing from the leaders and the President. And I know for sure you have here a digital president."
Hamadoun said he would be awarding an ITU medal for ICT to President Mahinda Rajapasksa for the "strong support" he had given for the industry.
He said Sri Lanka had expressed a desire to launch a geo-stationery satellite to be named after communications guru Arthur C. Clarke.
Presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga, a firm believer in ICTs who is also the chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka said ICTs have started to influence people much like a good leader does.
Weeratunga said despite difficulties the country has experienced in the recent past, telecoms was one area that the country has done "extremely well".
"We have been liberal in our thinking, we have been open to dialogue, and also I think there have been people now and in the past who have had progressive thinking," he said.
Sri Lanka now had 44 percent mobile penetration, which was double that of India.
It was the first country in South Asia to start mobile phones, the first to start GSM services, and the first to start third generation (3G) services.
He said while technology was positive, allowing people to learn, to access better medical facilities, but in Sri Lanka mobile telephony has been used for terror attacks.
This has prompted defence and regulatory authorities to impose restrictions.
"I hope these are not for ever," he said.
"Not that we would like to impose restrictions, on mobile telephony but for the safety of the population we need to bring a certain regime into force."
New regulations have made it illegal to citizens to carry a phone belonging to another person, and operators are now engaged in registering phones.
The rules have been challenged in court.
............................
MR is the Man who led the country towards prosper except few crooks like Mervin
"A sound regulatory environment is key for market growth," Hamadoun told an Asia Pacific GSM (global system for mobile communications) Association meeting in Colombo.
"For that you will need a strong backing from the leaders and the President. And I know for sure you have here a digital president."
Hamadoun said he would be awarding an ITU medal for ICT to President Mahinda Rajapasksa for the "strong support" he had given for the industry.
He said Sri Lanka had expressed a desire to launch a geo-stationery satellite to be named after communications guru Arthur C. Clarke.
Presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga, a firm believer in ICTs who is also the chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka said ICTs have started to influence people much like a good leader does.
Weeratunga said despite difficulties the country has experienced in the recent past, telecoms was one area that the country has done "extremely well".
"We have been liberal in our thinking, we have been open to dialogue, and also I think there have been people now and in the past who have had progressive thinking," he said.
Sri Lanka now had 44 percent mobile penetration, which was double that of India.
It was the first country in South Asia to start mobile phones, the first to start GSM services, and the first to start third generation (3G) services.
He said while technology was positive, allowing people to learn, to access better medical facilities, but in Sri Lanka mobile telephony has been used for terror attacks.
This has prompted defence and regulatory authorities to impose restrictions.
"I hope these are not for ever," he said.
"Not that we would like to impose restrictions, on mobile telephony but for the safety of the population we need to bring a certain regime into force."
New regulations have made it illegal to citizens to carry a phone belonging to another person, and operators are now engaged in registering phones.
The rules have been challenged in court.
............................
MR is the Man who led the country towards prosper except few crooks like Mervin
