Tuesday Jun 23, 2026
Tuesday Jun 23, 2026
Tuesday, 23 June 2026 05:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government has reaffirmed plans to launch its long-delayed national digital television service in 2029, with authorities moving to accelerate implementation of the project and secure the financial and administrative support required for its completion.
The decision was reached during a high-level discussion recently between the Digital Economy Ministry and the External Resources Department (ERD) of the Finance Ministry, focusing on expediting the National Digital TV Project, widely described as the country’s second major technological revolution in the television broadcasting sector.
The meeting was held under the patronage of Labour Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne.
Officials reviewed the financial and administrative measures needed to ensure that future construction and technical activities proceed without delays and confirmed that the digital television service would be introduced to the public in 2029 as scheduled.
The discussions also highlighted the implementation of a special technical cooperation program aimed at ensuring the successful completion of the digital broadcasting transition.
As part of the initiative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide an additional grant assistance of 400 million Japanese Yen to support the project. The funding is expected to finance a countrywide public awareness and consumer education campaign to prepare Sri Lankans for the transition to digital television following the completion of the infrastructure rollout.
The digital television project is expected to modernise the country’s broadcasting sector by replacing analogue transmission with digital technology, improving spectrum efficiency and enhancing the quality and range of television services available to viewers.
Among those attending the meeting were Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) Director General Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Bandula Herath, Digital Television Project Director Prasanga Rajapaksa, and senior officials from the ERD, the Finance Ministry, and the Digital Economy Ministry.
