The Pay Phone Co. Ltd., operators of the Super Card pay phone system, has introduced a new IDD link that has literally made the IDD facilities available in Sri Lanka burst at the seams.
With this new system anybody who buys a Super Card can avail himself/herself of IDD facilities from any Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) touch tone phone. You simply dial 07979 and give your Super Card pin number. IDD facilities will be provided to any part of the world depending on the credit available in the card. The SLT phone will not be charged as all charges will be automatically debited to the Super Card account. Whilst you are on the phone a separate voice will announce the credit minutes available.
This facility will be available initially for the Colombo and Greater Colombo areas but it will be expanded islandwide. Super Cards are available at prizes ranging from Rs 40/-to Rs 700/-. Plans are also afoot to make the Super Card switch (079-79) a toll-free number. The company also has plans to offer corporate accounts for IDD facilities and to develop its operations so that even cellular users may benefit.
The Pay Phone Co. Ltd. is a BOI approved collaboration between Fentons Ltd., World Quest of USA and Loxley Public Co. Ltd., Thailand. It began operations 4 years back as a licensed telecom operator with an initial investment of US $ 20 million.
According to a company spokesperson the project was first envisaged because “the Pay Phone Co. Ltd., is committed to provide a dedicated islandwide service inclusive of supreme customer convenience.” The reason for such an investment was also due to the un- wanted hassle involved in taking IDD calls and the amount of such calls made from Sri Lanka, especially by the general public.
The company has installed a wireless digital loop carrier thus eliminating the possibility of electronic eavesdropping. The pin card system also facilitates the invalidation of a card account if and when such a necessity arises. These hi-tech innovations are supplemented by the expertise and the experience of the three parent companies all of whom have proven track records.
Though this is the first time that such technology is being implemented in South Asia, the company has tried its best to keep the charges to a minimum. The rates would be the normal SLT charges plus 20%. They have been divided into three time zones and peak and off-peak hours in order to give the customers a better deal.
All in all, the bottom-line of the whole project is that it embodies the potential to turn a million of SLT connections into pay phones with IDD facilities.
