Parliamentary Committee mulls improving digital literacy outside Colombo

By Ajith Siriwardana 

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation has stressed the need to improve digital literacy in areas outside Colombo. 

The Committee has focused attention on the matter during a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Science, Technology and Digital Transformation, held in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of MP Janaka Senarathne. 

The Committee has proposed that programmes must be organised through District Secretariat offices for improving digital literacy in areas outside Colombo. 

Officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy said that there are plans to provide every person in the country with High-Speed Broadband connectivity by the year 2029. 

Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, Senior Advisor to the President, made a detailed presentation before the Committee regarding the programme planned to provide High-Speed Broadband connectivity to every person in the country. 

He pointed out that steps are being taken this year to install 100 new telecommunication towers, adding that between 600 and 1,000 telecommunication towers would be required to fully meet the national requirement, and that this would be carried out in stages. 

He also emphasised that although approximately 98% internet coverage currently exists in the country, it does not meet the requirements for High-Speed Broadband coverage. 

He said that the existing capacity must be increased by around 25% in order to provide High-Speed Broadband facilities to every child. 

He also said that a commercial model will be prepared in relation to telecommunication towers, and opportunities will be given to the private sector to submit bids for this purpose.