Letters of Demand for unpaid Internet bills for unused service
View(s):Several schools in the North Western Province which got free routers from the Provincial Education Department are now faced with the problem of settling internet bills for a service they have not being using.
Around 40 schools have received letters of demand from the Legal Department of the service provider- Mobitel- for not settling rental for the last 18 months, for routers installed by them in those schools.
The Principals claim that the routers were distributed to the schools without determining the availability of associated facilities, such as the need, computers and possibility of receiving signals without disturbance.
The Ceylon teachers Union (CTU) said that around 1,000 schools were given the facility, of which 96 schools do not have Computer Labs and 40 are situated in areas where there is no signal reception.
As such, although the internet connection was provided by Mobitel, the service was not availed by the schools.
The CTU said the routers were distributed to the schools in the Wayamba region, in an ad hoc manner, not taking into consideration the need for the WiFi connection. - CC