HUTCH inaugurates the Gamata Sannivedanaya- WeniwelAra Tower providing internet connectivity to over 1,000 rural students

HUTCH, Sri Lanka’s fast growing choice for Mobile Broadband Services joined forces with the Gamata Sannivedanaya project initiated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) with the intention of providing broadband coverage to the entire country overcoming geographical challenges. With the direction and support provided by the TRCSL, HUTCH launched the WeniwelAra tower with the core objective of providing essential internet connectivity for students and people in the WeniwelAra village.

WeniwelAra is a rural village situated in the Hambantota district with a population of 2200 people comprising 600 families. At present more than 1,100 students from the village are requiring access to online education facilities. These students belong to the Viharagala Maha Vidyalaya, which is in close proximity to the WeniwelAra village. The WeniwelAra Purana Viharaya which is the main community center of the village, and adjudged the best Sunday school in Hambantota district for three consecutive years will also be benefiting with proper internet coverage for the first time

Commenting on the project, HUTCH CEO, Thirukumar Nadarasa said, “We are indeed happy to support the students in the WeniwelAra village and adjacent areas, fulfilling their internet requirements, which is a critical need at this time. At present online education has become the only viable mode of access to education, it is essential to equip these rural villages with internet facilities and provide equal opportunities for all students to continue their studies. I thank the DG TRCSL for taking up this important national initiative and working with the industry to deliver results.”

Director General of the TRCSL Oshada Senanayake, acknowledging the efforts of HUTCH said, “We highly appreciate HUTCH for extending their support towards this nationwide initiative which plays a vital role in the digital inclusion efforts of the country. This project is mainly targeted at rural communities, where people often face connectivity issues. As of now, online learning is part of our lives, so we believe that Gamata Sannivedanaya project will support empowerment of students for e-education as well as accelerating technology diffusion across many industries. This island wide project will ensure to make network solutions accessible for everyone irrespective of their region.”

The pandemic has triggered the shift to online education as a means to ensure continuity of education for students. Lack of proper internet connectivity in rural areas is a major concern that has left many students with hardships. This timely initiative from TRCSL with the guidance and support from the government will enable equal access to online education for student’s island wide.

In its efforts to provide reliable internet connectivity to all Sri Lankans and committing to support the ongoing Gamata Sannivedanaya project, HUTCH will continue to expand network connectivity into more rural areas whilst also focusing delivering a consistent internet experience for all.