The International Telecommunication Commission (ITC) has granted 64.5 million US dollars to develop Sri Lanka's tsunami-affected telecommunication network.

Speaking at private telecommunication company Suntel's CDMA technology launch in Kandy last Friday, Telecommunication, Posts and Udarata Development Minister D. M. Jayaratne said that all post offices and damaged telecommunication network would be rebuilt with the aid, the Daily News reported Monday.

"We would be re-installing the telephone link and providing free telephones to all the Sri Lanka Telecom subscribers who were affected by the tsunami," he said, adding "Cabinet approval has been already received for this."

Jayaratne said that with the assistance from foreign donors 400 pay phones will be installed in the rural areas within this year.

Source: Xinhua