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Malaysian phone company appeals to President
A Malaysian company which signed an agreement with the Government prior to the Presidential elections to obtain a licence for a fixed wireless telecommunication network claims the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) was no longer honouring the agreement and wants President Mahinda Rajapakse to intervene in the matter.

The company Sky One Telecom (Pvt) Ltd which has been approved under the Board of Investment Act had signed the agreement to obtain the licence in October last year with the Telecommunication Ministry and subsequently a letter was issued by the TRC in November that a payment of Rs. 400 million be made to further process the licence application.

The company claims its officials who had come prepared last week to make part payment of the Rs. 400 million were told they could no longer be given the licence.

Director General of TRC Kanchana Ratwatte when contacted by The Sunday Times said no such agreement was signed. He said only after the payment of the said amount would an agreement be signed.

Mr.Ratwatte added two companies have already been awarded licences to operate the said service and there was no spectrum available to issue a licence to another company at the moment. Meanwhile, the company has written to President Rajapakse asking him to intervene in the matter saying the company has already invested substantial amounts of money in order to carry out initial works on the project such as the feasibility study and their proposal has been selected as a feasible project which had undergone a long and extensive process by the TRC, which then came under the Telecommunication.Ministry.

However the TRC now functions directly under the President.

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