The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) has planned to set up solar powered coin operated telephone booths in welfare centres in the North for the benefit of displaced civilians to formulate their daily needs.

This is part of its program drawn up with the collaboration of a Telecommunications provider to develop telecommunication facilities in rural areas without electricity.

Under the first stage of this program, Tritel will instal 2,000 solar powered coin operated CDMA telephone booths throughout the country said the TRC in a communique issued yesterday. Tritel will invest Rs. 500 million under the first stage of this program, reported the Daily News today.

TRC said this is an environment friendly program which will provide telecom facilities to the less privileged sector at a reasonable cost. The first model telephone booth under this program was opened on an experimental basis at Elvitigala Mawatha Colombo opposite the TRC premises recently.