Local Services in Sri Lanka

The linguistic and ethnic division in Sri Lanka can be very much felt all throughout the country from politics to festivals and how media operates. Sri Lanka basically uses three major languages as medium of communication and because of this TV, radio and print all appear in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Two major TV stations are owned by the State and while there is approximately around 8 TV stations and a dozen radio stations that are privately owned. Privately owned media outfits usually give commentary on government policies and debate just about any political issue. Citizens of Sri Lanka can tune in to 15 AM and 52 FM radio stations.

The telephone system generally has improved as most parts of the country have telephones lines. Fiber-optic links and fixed wireless local loops have been recently been installed giving way to better communication lines. Mobile telephone services are also available and subscribers are reported to be increasing. Mobile services are provided by four players namely Dialog, Hutch, Mobitel and Tigo. Internet connectivity is also increasing and is estimated to reach 770,000 users by end of 2008.

With regards to transportation, there are 17 domestic airports and 1 international airport in the country, navigable waterways and roads in very good conditions. People usually get around by bus. The government provides most of the bus services but private buses are also available. An extensive railway is also in place but is yet to be modernized. Railways in rebel Tamil territory have been blown up and correspondingly have ceased services on those areas. Horse-drawn carriages can still be seen in rural areas.