The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel recently joined hands with the Sri Lanka Army to employ 68 personnel in the areas of BTS (Base Transceiver Station), Transmission and Power & Civil to assist them with the next stage on the network development project.
The Army personnel were given comprehensive training in BTS & Transmission equipment installation in mobile networks, theoretical sessions and practical training at sites, and were also given the opportunity to carry out on-the-job training (carrying out implementations in real sites under the supervision of Mobitel engineers). These personnel will be given the positions of Technical Officer & Rigger/Technician in the areas of BTS, Transmission, Power & Civil.
Speaking at the event held to commemorate the signing of 68 army personnel into Mobitel’s latest network expansion project, Major General Rohan Kaduwela, the Chief Signal Officer of the Sri Lanka Army said, “All of us are aware that the Sri Lanka Army along with its sister services fought a bitter war for almost 30 years to preserve the territorial integrity of the country. Collectively, we managed to put a stop to this brutal war which came to an end with the support and the blessings of his Excellency the President, the Secretary of Defense, the entire government machinery and the people of the country. The Army is stepping away from its traditional role, by being a part of an initiative of this nature. When Mobitel extended this invitation to the Army and requested our assistance, it paved the way for us, to be involved in a massive national project which is aimed at ultimately helping the country develop. I appreciate the initiative and the support of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army in facilitating this worthwhile project. I would like to thank the former CEO of Mobitel, Lalith De Silva and the team at Mobitel for their cooperation. When I see the commitment shown by my senior staff and all ranks involved in this endeavour I know that this project will be a success.”
Mobitel looks forward to sharing knowledge with the armed forces, gained by being one of the foremost operators in the telecom industry. This is just the first step towards creating a fruitful partnership between Mobitel and the armed forces.