View(s):
I had woken up early on Thursday morning and was questioning what to put in writing about this week. At this level the telephone rang. It was ‘Hingga’ Pala, a reputation given to my good friend Siripala, a beggarly character who at all times asks for cash, regardless that he has sufficient assets. ‘Hingga Pala’ was in actual fact the identify of a personality within the Sure Boss TV sequence on a neighborhood channel.I hadn’t spoken to him for some time and was questioning whether or not it was one in all his methods to get cash, which I’ve discovered a method to keep away from. We each know the sport and find yourself as pals regardless that I refuse his request – again and again – for cash. On at the present time, as ordinary, he began off asking for cash, “I say, are you able to give me a mortgage?” however shortly mentioned he was joking. I laughed and replied: “You realize I don’t have that form of cash.”
We mentioned many points and at one level he requested, “Why is the federal government intransigent on the fertiliser difficulty? Everybody agrees that it’s not a nasty concept to shift to natural fertiliser however a correct method is required and such a transition can’t be executed in a single day. It will take a number of years.”
“I believe it’s extra about being cussed in sticking to the choice (than the rest) and it’s a fallacy to imagine that Sri Lanka can shift to an natural fertiliser-usage financial system in a single go. No nation has achieved greater than 10 % in natural fertiliser utilization on crops. How can Sri Lanka swim towards the tide?” I requested.
“It’s the farmers who’re struggling and never the non-farming public. If crop manufacturing drops and that’s what consultants are saying, the federal government will import rice (and it’s unlikely to be natural rice which is pricey) to feed the individuals. Within the case of the farmer, his earnings drops sharply and there can be much less meals on the desk,” he mentioned and exchanging ‘byes’, rang off.
I used to be nonetheless grappling with a topic to put in writing about – since I had handled the fertiliser difficulty in a number of columns not too long ago – when my consideration was drawn to the margosa tree the place the trio had gathered for his or her weekly ‘get-together’.
What intrigued me was that they had been discussing a latest growth in cell phone connections, giving me an prompt concept on a subject to put in writing about.
“Mama paththare kiyewwa, apita ape jangama dura kathanaya maaru karanna puluwan kiyala, wena ayathanayakata, nommare maaru karanne nathuwa (I learn within the newspapers that we will now switch our cell phone connection to a different firm with out having to vary the quantity),” mentioned Kussi Amma Sera.
“Eka bohoma honda deyak, mokada mage jangama dura kathanaye prashna godak thiyenawa. Eka ganan-uth wedei (That’s an excellent concept as I’ve been having many issues with my telephone connection and the prices are rising),” mentioned Serapina.
“Ikmanata eka karanna puluwan nam hondai. Me davas wala mata hari karadarai mage meda peradiga inna yaaluwo ekka sambanda-wenna (I hope we will do the change quickly, since I’ve been having issues in latest occasions making an attempt to hook up with my pals in West Asia),” added Mabel Rasthiyadu.
So Kussi Amma Sera got here to my rescue on Thursday morning, offering me with the subject for this week. Not dangerous eh!
They had been speaking about Cell Quantity Portability (MNP) which is a worldwide follow, the place clients utilizing a specific service supplier can change to a different service supplier with out having to vary the unique quantity. It means in case you have a 0777 quantity and have to shift to a service supplier with a 0714 quantity and vice versa, that’s allowed beneath MNP with out altering your authentic quantity.
It is available in very useful as a result of in case you have an extended listing of contacts, it’s not simple to vary the quantity and retain the contacts. Within the new transfer – which has been authorised by the federal government – shifting to a brand new service supplier by utilizing the identical quantity is now permitted.
However there may be much more work to be executed earlier than this scheme, which has been beneath dialogue since 2012, turns into operational. Not being acquainted myself as to how this scheme capabilities and in addition as a information to my readers, I tapped an trade skilled, on the highway forward.
In keeping with Nushad Perera, an skilled previously from Dialog Axiata and its guardian firm in Malaysia, the plan to shift to MNP has been within the works for a while.
“Whereas the authorized framework has been accomplished, we have to now take care of the operational facet,” he mentioned, including that whereas working in Malaysia a number of years in the past, that nation had launched MNP which is now a typical function within the world telecom trade.
The choice applies to each cell telephones and stuck traces – for instance an SLT fastened line person can change to Lanka Bell and vice versa or in cellphones, a Mobitel person can change to Dialog or Hutch and vice versa.
Perera says that to make it operational there’s a have to arrange an MNP crib (just like the crib within the banking sector the place particulars of shoppers with a nasty debt historical past are recorded) and in addition a clearing home (as soon as once more, similar to the banking sector which makes use of it for clearing of cheques).
“For instance, if a buyer needs to switch to a different service supplier however has large money owed to pay to his/her present service supplier, the switch can be permitted solely after the client settles all of the dues,” he mentioned.
In keeping with telecom regulator, Telecommunications Regulatory Fee (TRC), there are a minimum of 30 million cell connections as at June 2021, considerably increased than the nation’s inhabitants of twenty-two million, largely as a result of most individuals have multiple connection.
When it comes to fastened traces, there are 3.5 million connections. The cell phone operators are Dialog, Mobitel and Hutch (which additionally acquired Etisalat two years in the past), whereas the
fastened line operators are Sri Lanka Telecom, Dialog and Lanka Bell.
As I wound up my column, Kussi Amma Sera walked into the room with my second mug of tea and, seeing me combating my cell phone to name somebody, mentioned: “Oya jangama dura kathanaya maaru karanna oney neda (You want to change your cell connection).”
“Ekanam hari (Very true),” I mentioned however realised that it will be a number of months earlier than MNP turned a actuality.
