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Colombo: The first LTE-enabled city in South Asia
Sri Lanka leads region in 4G
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Dialog, the Sri Lankan
operator, has launched a
4G pilot project in five
zones within the city of
Colombo with over ten base
stations. The outdoor
coverage gives a speed
between 30 to 50
megabytes but indoors the
speed may rise to 120
megabytes. The already
operational 3G network
across the country
comprises over 2,200 base
stations. Launched in 2006,
it was the first 3G coverage
in South Asia and is
delivering 42 Megabytes
per second
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Dialog Axiata Group CEO Dr Hans Wijayasuriya expressed confidence that Sri
Lanka would lead the South Asian region in 4G technology within the next two
years.
“All telecommunication providers would agree that the Telecommunications
Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has been proactive in introducing new
technologies. As a result, Sri Lankan mobile operators were the first to
introduce 3G Network in South Asia taking the move forward, Sri Lanka would
pioneer in the region in 4G technology within the next two years,” Dr
Wijayasuriya said.
The Dialog Group CEO made these comments after launching the 4th
Generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) pilot network at its Darley Road office,
which also made Colombo the first LTE enabled city in South Asia.
Dr Wijayasuriya said the development of the ICT sector was not laid only by the
operator. “The Government policy and the progressive attitude of the TRCSL
also play a vital role in ensuring that Sri Lanka is well ahead in the region,” he
said.
LTE technology would be the next generation of mobile broadband technology
and what we have seen over the last few years is that successive generations
of technology have come in quite fast. The lifetime of each technology being
introduced is shrinking and is being replaced by newer versions. Although it
took ten years for the 2G to be surpassed by the 3G, it will be only three to four
years between 3G and 4G, he said.
4G brings higher speed than 3G, however, the 4G technology is still at an early
stage worldwide. The terminals, be it dongles, laptops or inbuilt devices such as
tablets, laptops or computers, these are inbuilt components and are still
expensive. “I would say that the availability, compatibility and affordability of the
device would determine how fast LTE would become mainstream”, he said.
Dialog has commenced it as a pilot project in five zones within the city of
Colombo- Fort, Slave Island, Colpetty, Bambalapitiya and Narahenpita. “We
have deployed over ten base stations as we have coverage in the Colombo
city. Though it is not continuous, but outdoor coverage gives a speed of
between 30 and 50 megabytes and we have tested it in the streets of these
zones,” he said.
Responding to a question as to how Dialog Axiata would aim to strategize its 4G
network expansion, he said that the company would move into commercial
operation gradually when the devices are available. There is no point in
proceeding with the 4G expansion rollout plan until the devices are ready and
affordable. But Dialog would also proceed with the expansion of the 3G
coverage simultaneously. The 3G network is expanding and has over 1,000
base stations and the total number of base stations round the country is over
2,200 across the country.
However, there are the special environments such as the indoor environments
which demonstrate that the capacity could rise to even 100-120 megabytes.
The 4G coverage could be developed in the same manner as the 3G coverage
which tested in 2004 with the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke which was launched in
2006, it also became the first 3G coverage in South Asia and is delivering 42
Megabytes per second.
Network expansion for the mobile phones is almost complete with 93 percent of
the landmass of the country covered. “Almost the entire population of Sri Lanka
is covered but there are a few remote areas accounting for 7 percent and that
too would be covered by mid 2012” he said.
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