Telecommunications Act Lineage
Telecommunications Act Lineage
Sri Lanka | 1991 – 2026
A Comprehensive Regulatory Overview
01 / 061991
The Principal Act
Act No. 25 of 1991- Corporatization: Shifted from Government Department to Sri Lanka Telecom.
- Licensing: Section 17 made it illegal to operate without a Ministerial license.
- Authority: Created the office of the Director-General.
02 / 061996Source: Amendment No. 27 of 1996
The 1996 Amendment
Amendment Act No. 27 of 1996- TRCSL: Established as a multi-member commission.
- Cess (Levy): Introduced to ensure regulatory financial independence.
- Public Hearings: Mandated for transparency.
03 / 062019
SIM Card Regulations
Gazette No. 2132/65- NIC/Passport verification: Mandatory for all new users.
- Address proof: Requirement for utility bills.
- Database entry: Activation only after database entry.
Note: Currently applies to SIMs issued after Aug 2, 2019.
Source: 2019 Gazette PDF04 / 062024
Modern Modernization
Amendment Act No. 39 of 2024- Anti-Monopoly: Regulation of Significant Market Power (SMP).
- Infrastructure Sharing: Third-party tower construction allowed.
- Tariff Fairplay: Mandated cost-based, non-discriminatory pricing.
05 / 062026
The 2026 Cabinet Proposal
Closing the "Legacy Gap"Mandatory Re-registration: All SIMs obtained before Aug 2, 2019 must be re-verified.
Minors: New rules for ages 16–17.
Foreigners: Stricter tracking for tourist connections.
06 / 06
Summary of Lineage
| Year | Focus | Key Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Corporatization | End of State Monopoly |
| 1996 | Governance | Creation of TRCSL |
| 2019 | Security | Identity Verification |
| 2024 | Competition | Market Fairness & 5G |
Prepared for Documentation Purposes • Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
← → to navigate