Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission is planning to award a contract to build and operate a high speed fibre optic backbone by April 2010.

Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission is planning to award a contract to build and operate a high speed fibre optic backbone by April 2010. The project is likely to cost around $150 million and will be crucial in deploying fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) facilities in the country. The regulator is currently evaluating expressions of interest and will issue detailed documents to qualified companies in early 2010, before the final bids are submitted. The winning firm will also get a $12.5 million subsidy under the World Bank’s e-Sri Lanka project scheme.