Sri Lankan regulator lining up 5G licensing process for 2023

The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has confirmed to the country’s government that it is preparing for the implementation of commercial 5G services in 2023.

TRCSL officials told the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Technology that the regulator is taking the necessary steps to enable mobile operators and ISPs to launch full-scale commercial services using the next-gen standard.

“It was discussed about the permission of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) for the 5G technology which is to be introduced by internet service providers. Accordingly, the officials of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said that the necessary arrangements will be made next year to start commercial activities related to 5G technology,” a statement said.

In November 2021 the regulator revealed that it planned to move away from its previous practice of allocating spectrum concessions, and would instead auction licences for a range of frequencies, including bands suitable for 5G use. Sri Lanka’s finance minister at this time, Basil Rajapaksa, noted that the move factored in the substantial CAPEX incurred by the allocation process.

The regulator has provided certain operators – including Dialog Axiata – with usage rights for spectrum in the 3.5GHz band, allowing them to provide pre-commercial services ahead of the issue for commercial fixed, mobile, ISP and satellite broadcast licences. Adaderana