SLT connects over 350,000 households with optical fibre-based broadband access
Friday, 20 September 2013 02:30
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Enabling nearly 1.5 m home and business internet consumers
Company enhances customers’ broadband experience through bringing fibre optic deployment closer to the customers
Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the nation’s no. 1 telecommunication services provider, announced that the company has set the benchmark for high quality and reliable broadband experience in the country by connecting over 350,000 households and businesses with fixed broadband enabling nearly 1.5 million users to access its network.
Strengthening its technology leadership in the country’s evolving broadband footprint, SLT enables its customers to experience the true potential of Broadband, with the best service that a telco-operator can offer, on par with any global telecommunication operator. For this to be possible, optical fibre technology is the solution for its reliability and ability to better manage emerging bandwidth-hungry communication requirements of modern lifestyle.
Superfast broadband is the speedy means of providing broadband with the least disruption through fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH). FTTC and FTTB deliver fibre close enough to the point of use so that the length of the final copper connection does not seriously limit the bandwidth.
Fibre based broadband: FTTC, FTTB and FTTH literally transforms the internet experience of users. FTTH connectivity makes download speeds of up to 40 Mbps or higher bandwidths such as 100 Mbps possible. SLT also announced the soft launch of VDSL2 (Very- High-Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line 2), which is more advanced and much faster fixed broadband technology in addition to existing ADSL & ADSL 2+ technology based broadband services. The addition of this new technology means that the company’s broadband users could expect speeds up to 100 Mbps.
SLT’s communication backbone (core network) is now totally an optical fibre based backbone network and extends the network edge closer to the customer. The customer premises are connected through fibre or copper connectivity; therefore ‘SLT broadband’ is a fibre based broadband service. This, together with other network modernisation efforts, has enabled SLT to provide very high speed connectivity and many other next generation network features to its customers.
This broadband initiative will enable customers to experience the consistent, uninterrupted high speed internet services delivered on the network while enjoying services like high speed internet browsing, large file downloads, cloud computing, voice over IP, IPTV, online music, video conferencing, high quality video on demand, music on demand etc., instantly at the click of a link.
Fibre broadband is a truly transformational technology, which opens new possibilities on how people use and interact with internet. SLT’s i-Sri Lanka program has delivered its promise during the last year with great results: added 57,000 new broadband connections to the network and currently reached over 350,000 locations with fixed broadband by adding over 20,000 new connections in 2013, this network modernisation program is in progress and deploys fibre-to-the-Cabinet ensuring that the company serves its customers within two km distance from every Cabinet (distributions node); 3,500km of fibre optics added to network expansion; achieved significant improvements in reliability, quality and high speed data; broadband capability as well as PEO TV capability has improved to a total of 50% of the customer base.
Transforming our lifestyles – Nowadays, we all depend on the broadband service heavily for our daily business, educational and social lives. Our lifestyle has changed significantly in recent years. Internet users are now generating content and uploading them onto the web to be shared within their circles of friends. This can only be done with the wide deployment of the broadband network.
Obviously, broadband has become the most critical infrastructure in modern society. However, consumers are not content with today’s broadband services. They want more bandwidth, higher speed, and lower price. Moreover, they want to access the broadband network anytime, anywhere with any terminal, which is the most challenging task for the telecom industry.
Customers are also experiencing the pleasure of accessing world class entertainment which PEO TV delivers right to their living room. PEO TV has brought the best of world class sports, entertainment and news into people’s living rooms. Wherever they are, whatever they want, SLT has reinvented the way personalised entertainment is delivered to everyone.
Sophisticated ICT infrastructure and services will provide an ideal platform for personalised entertainment options (PEO TV) through interactive television, distance learning, online education, e-health, and opportunities for Cloud Computing, private business networking and much more at superior speed, with high quality and reliability.
SLT’s double play (Telephone and Broadband/PEO TV) and triple play (Telephone, Broadband and PEO TV) services are delivered over a unique brand – SLT Megaline connection - ‘One line offering three unique experiences’.
The target of SLT’s i-Sri Lanka program which is currently in progress is to achieve broadband speeds up to 20 Mbps for more than 90% of the one million fixed line customers in Sri Lanka which now brings SLT’s Megaline capability to provide access to nearly 4.5 million Sri Lankans across one million households.
Such high broadband performance delivery caters to the growing demand for home and office Wi-Fi, where multiple users can enjoy reliable uninterrupted broadband connectivity at home and office, with the convenience of mobility, which can never be matched by any other broadband service.
At present, the company has designed broadband packages to suit the many lifestyles and needs of customers. Broadband packages with higher data volumes and higher speeds allow users to select download speeds ranging from two Mbps up to 16 Mbps. Volume based packages were introduced to improve users’ internet experience with data volumes starting from 2GB and range up to 300GB per month.
The company is adept at gauging and adopting telecom developments around the world and has been quick to respond to the social media revolution and the growing demand created by smartphones and smart tabs for Wi-Fi access. SLT has promoted wireless internet access through the introduction of attractive prices and offers for Wi-Fi enabled office/home gateways, bringing increased flexibility and creating an incentive for customers to adopt the company’s flagship ‘SLT Broadband’ product.
Vast economic benefits can be realised through reliable telecommunication infrastructure capable of adequately catering to the immediate and long term information technology needs of a developing nation and that seeks to tap into global ICT markets. Improved ICT infrastructure has the potential to enable a smarter workforce and improve efficiencies through reduced travel. Fast and easy access to government and other information services produce a well informed population, enable high quality jobs and educated citizens to fill them, paves a road away from poverty and promotes life-long learning.
Needless to say, ICTs are not a magic pill, nor an alternative to other development investments, but if applied in conjunction with other initiatives, they are a crucial enabling factor for development in Sri Lanka. World class ICT infrastructure will be significantly and positively impacted on expanding the productive capacity of the economy and will facilitate high and sustainable economic growth in Sri Lanka.
