*Cellphones becoming attractive work tools

The telecommunication industry should widen its scope to provide new technologies to the new generation, said the Executive Director of LIRNE Asia, Dr. Rohan Samarajiva.

The new generation is asking for more from a service provider and the industry should focus meeting their requirements.

Developments in communications are transforming people’s lives, altering the media landscape and exerting a ‘multiplier effect’ on national economies. Mobile telephony has dramatically altered the economic prospects of millions, particularly in the developing world.

The new mobility coupled with broadband is changing how people interact socially and professionally; it is transforming their access to media content and services. The economic and social impact of the coming generation of high-speed fixed and mobile network technologies will be profound.

"As at the current situation, the mobile has become a valuable part of an individual’s life and it has gone beyond boundaries providing most of the required services to a provider," Dr Samarajiva said.

"Today the mobile can perform a computer of early days and the younger generation is getting into the trend of using mobiles as a working tool."

Citing a personal experience, he said he came across a teenager who was using the mobile for his day-to-day activities and earns US$ 7 per day according to work received.

"This is the future we should focus on as the new generation is moving towards more sophisticated methods which eases their work and reduces their time. The industry also should cater the segment by providing more access to other new technologies."

He also pointed out that many new technologies and applications, used by other countries, had been successful and the companies in Sri Lanka might lose the competitive edge as the new generation was moving out of voice communications.

"Actually it is the new method that we should cater to which would earn more profits to a company and service the customer for total satisfaction,"

He concluded by saying "mobiles can provide access to shopping and payments also many other operations required by a user. Mobile 2.0 is the future and yet it is not known of the services it would provide".