Sri Lanka's TRC Offers 3G Licenses To Mobile Phone Cos

COLOMBO -(Dow Jones)- Sri Lanka's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, or TRC, Tuesday invited expressions of interest from mobile phone operators for 3G network licenses.

The license will cost US$5 million each and existing local mobile phone companies have two weeks to respond to the offer, said the TRC.

"3G provides flexibility and portability, allowing one to do more on the move. One could make and receive video calls, e-mails, high-speed internet connections for web browsing with 3G technology," said the TRC in a statement. It didn't specify the number of licenses to be offered.

Last week Dialog Telekom said it will spend $150 million this year to expand its overall network and boost infrastructure, which includes a proposed 3G network. The company has already conducted trial 3G services in Sri Lanka.

Mobitel, a unit of Sri Lanka Telecom, is expected to conduct 3G trial services in June.

Dialog, a unit of Telekom Malaysia, is the biggest of Sri Lanka's four mobile-phone operators. Others include Celltel Lanka Ltd. a fully owned unit of Millicom International Cellular Asia and Hutchison, a unit of Hutchinson Telecommunications International.

-By Zaithoon Bin Ahamed, Dow Jones Newswires; 941-2304 941; zaithoon.ahamed@dowjones.com

-Edited by Costas Paris

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 23rd May 2006