Uncertain Future

Yesterdays report in The Sunday Times Financial Times has become a hope killer for most CBNsat Subscribers, particularly the statement given below.

"The Defence Ministry is yet to clear CBN (Communiq Broadband Networks Ltd), off the air since June 9 this year for a media licensing facility and is unlikely to get one, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) of Sri Lanka, Kanchana Ratwatte, told The Sunday Times FT."

So the only option CBNsat has is to join up with another licensed provider. According to the report a CBNsat Customer Service Representative has told that the only licensed provider at present is Rupavahini. As reported in this blog the newspaper also reports that CBNsat has provided Rupavahini with the proposals and are awaiting their response.

However as new operators enter the market the options will increase but how long will it be before new entrants are also given the license and can a company survive so long. Like we said earlier we are made to understand that slow and steady progress is being made and we would appreciate it if CBNsat takes steps to keep their customers updated on the present status. We understand that everything cannot be disclosed but their will definitely have to be some information that can be disclosed to their customers since they are also stakeholders.

Questions are being raised by some bloggers regarding the credibility of information that is being released on this blog. Please understand that the information that we are bringing to you is what is being received by us. We are striving to maintain a high quality of information released via this blog.

CBNsat should now start looking for alternatives such as entering into a long term business partnership instead of just trying to sign an up linking deal. They should also try to explore possibilities such as selling the company to another party, this however is easier said than done since the person who started this company had a great vision and it is hard to let go of it.

The Defence Ministry have not cleared CBNsat still but we wonder how the TRC chairman can comment saying that "it is unlikely that CBNsat will get the clearance". It may sound like he is stating the obvious when looking at how things are proceeding at the moment but as the chairman of an state institution is it correct for him to pass the judgement before the decision is conveyed. He has to be neutral on the matter but it looks like he is biased.

We hope that CBNsat is able to recommence transmissions before the next court hearing which is on December 5th 2006.

Please keep us updated on the latest regarding CBNsat as the days progress.