Dialog installs satellite televisions in rural schools

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The private sector too should play a major role to strengthen the education of children and the Dialog Telekom PLC has already accepted this challenge by installing satellite TV connections in 1000 rural schools countrywide.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa launches the ‘Nenasa’ educational channel at Ranjan Wijeratne Maha Vidyalaya, Moneragala. Dialog Telecom PLC, Chief Executive Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya looks on

Dialog Telekom PLC, Group Chief Executive Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya in an interview with the Sunday Observer last week highlighted the importance of commencing the 'Nenasa' educational program and said that with the introduction of this facility, children in rural schools will be able to learn from important local and international educational programs, like the other children in prestigious schools in the country.

He said Dialog has spent over Rs. 100 million towards this program and all schools will be donated with television reception equipments and audio visual devices for connection to the 'Nenasa' network.

Excerpts of the interview:-

Question: Could you explain about the program ?

Answer: 'Nenasa' is a digital satellite television channel, managed and operated by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education (NIE).

It will connect 1000 rural schools in the country for educational based programs which are developed by the NIE over a digital satellite television broadcast medium.

Q: What are the other educational- based programs, that could be viewed through 'Nenasa' ?

A: The educational programs not only cater to the G.C.E (Ordinary Level) and (Advanced Level) students sitting for their examinations in Sinhala and Tamil mediums, but also conducting teacher training and skills development programs for the benefit of teachers and school leavers who are interested in following vocational studies.

Q: How could children view educational programs on 'Nenasa' ?

A: Children could access to the internat via www.nenasa.lk.

Q: What are the future programs planned to carry out by Dialog in the Northern and Eastern Districts ?

A: We have many plans to expand our telecommunication sector in the country and arrangements have already been made to install about 100 base stations (towers) in the Northern and Eastern Districts during the next few months.

Q: Are there sufficient number of dialog subscribers ?

A: According to latest reports, nearly 10 million people are using mobile phones in the country and 50 per cent of them are dialog customers.

The first Dialog base station, powered by wind, solar power and electricity at Tissamaharama. Pix: Ranjith Jayaweera

Q: Have you started any program to increase your customers ?

Answer: At present we have 1460 base stations (towers) countrywide and more than five million people have so far obtained dialog connections due to our excellent islandwide coverage. The present number of subscribers could also be increased after commencing our 100- base station program in the North.

Q: How is your present coverage in the North and East ?

A: Our present coverage in the North is also satisfactory. At present we have base stations in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Killinochchi, Mulative and Mannar. We have also planned to construct low cost base stations like the one at Tissamaharamaya where the base station is generated with solar and wind power and also with 35 per cent electricity.

Q: Meanwhile, you have started an environment-friendly Waste management program with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). Would you explain about it ?

A: This is an islandwide program, doing in collaboration with the CEA for the environment management of used mobile phones and accessories. As you are aware more than ten million telephone subscribers are in the country and about one million unused phones add to the environment every year. The accessories in these unused phones are threat to the human and animal health.

Therefore, we established collecting centres in many parts of the country and people could handover their old mobile phones to be destroyed. Thereafter, the parts of the phones are separated and exported to China for recycling. We will also introduce another E-waste management program to destroy DVD and CD discs and other unused electrical items.