Prohibited wireless phones to be removed from use in SL

By Chaturanga Samarawikrama

Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) had decided to remove a wide range of wireless mobile phones which cannot be used under the mobile frequency range in Sri Lanka.   

Speaking to the media TRCSL Deputy Commissioner Shantha Gunanandana said a certain frequency range had been assigned for mobile phones to operate in 
the country.  The TRCSL had decided to collect the imported mobile phone which operates disturbing the approved mobile frequency range and to recycle them systematically, Mr Gunanandana said.   “The use of this type of mobile phone in Colombo is reported to have increased and those phones create a huge disturbance to the existing mobile frequency,” he said.   

This disturbance mobile frequency was identified as the range between 1880 MHz and 1930 MHz including the usage of DECT 6.0 wireless phones.   

“We have sufficient facilities to track down the locations of those mobile phones. After locating the phone, the TRCSL will request such mobile users to hand over their phones to the department. Then the TRCSL would provide mobile phones which can be used under the approved frequency range free of charge with the support of mobile phone companies,” Mr.Gunanandana said.  If someone continued objecting to handing over those mobile phone the TRCSL would not hesitate to take legal action against them, he further said.   Therefore, the TRCSL request the general public to check with the department whether their mobile phones are in the range of approved mobile phone frequency. 

More than 800 wireless phones had already been removed from use and they had been handed over to the Electronic Waste Management Project for recycling.     

The use of this type of mobile phone in Colombo is reported to have increased and those phones create a huge disturbance to the existing mobile frequency