ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With these few words I would like to give my sincere gratitude towards all the personalities
who gave me immense support and help to me in getting through my first industrial training session in
a very successful manner.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Dean Faculty of Engineering Prof. Leelananda Rajapaksha,
Head of the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Prof. J. B. Ekanayake, The staff of the
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and the Industrial Training and Career Guidance
Unit of Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya for making necessary arrangements to
conduct the Industrial Training at Sri Lanka Telecom PLC.
Finally, Id like to thank the Sri Lanka Telecom Staff from the technicians to the Engineers for
the knowledge they have given me and for their kindness they have shown throughout my training
session to make it a success.

A.A Senerath

CONTENTS
Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:
Chapter 7:

Chapter 8:

INTRODUCTION

1.1 My Training Session

1.2 Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT)

1.3 Present Performance of SLT

1.4 Strength and Weaknesses of SLT

SLT OPMC Kandy CDMA Section

2.1 CDMA Phone Types

2.2 CDMA Repair Station My experience

11

SLT OPMC Kandy ADSL/PEOTV

12

3.1 Basic Connection Types

12

3.2 ADSL

13

3.3 IPTV PEOTV

17

SLT OPMC Kandy MDF

19

4.1 Test Room

20

4.2 Wiring at MDF

20

4.3 Connections and Arrestors

20

SLT OPMC Kandy New Connection

21

5.1 Introduction

21

5.2 Cables used

22

OPMC Kandy Development

23

6.1 Cables

23

OPMC Kandy Maintenance

24

7.1 Normal Maintenance

24

7.2 Maintenance Coin box section

24

Conclusion

26

LIST OF FIGURES
Fig. 1.1 SLT Logo

Fig. 1.2 Organization Chart of the SLT

Fig. 1.3 Operational Footprint of SLT

Fig. 2.1 AIJI CDMA Phone

Fig. 2.2 ZTE CDMA Phone

Fig. 2.3 Huawei New CDMA Phone

10

Fig. 2.4 Huawei Old CDMA Phone

10

Fig. 3.1 Physical setup for a Triple Play Connection

13

Fig. 3.2 Windows IP Configuration

14

Fig. 3.3 Line Status via Router Access

14

Fig. 3.4 Router Interface Setup

16

Fig. 3.5 Wi-Fi Configuration

17

Fig. 3.6 PEOTV Configuration

18

Fig. 3.7 PEOTV Packages offered by SLT

18

Fig. 4.1 MDF Arrangements

19

Fig. 4.2 A burnt arrestor

20

Fig. 5.1 A MSAN

21

Fig. 5.2 A DP

21

Fig. 5.3 RJ45 Wiring Pattern

22

Fig. 5.4 Crimping Tool

22

Fig. 5.5 RJ11 Clip

22

Fig. 7.1 Mechanism of a coin box

25

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 Training Schedule

Table 3.1 Line Attributes

14

Table 3.2 Connection Reliability based on SNR Margin

15

Table 3.3 Connection Reliability based on Line Attenuation

15

Table 4.1 Wire Colours used in MDF

20

Table 7.1 Observation report given to SLT in brief

24

LIST OF ABRIVIATION
Abbreviation
ADSL
CDMA
CEO
DP
ESN
ICT
IP
IPTV
ISP
IT
MDF
MSAN
OPMC
PEOTV
PLC
PPPoA/PPPoE
PSTN
RJ
SEA-ME-WE
SLT
SNR
STB
SVOD/VOD
TSTV
TV
UG
USB
VCI
VPI
VPN
Wi-Fi
WPA-PSK

Description
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Code Division Multiple Access
Chief Executive Officer
Distribution Point
Electronic Serial Number
Information and Communications Technology
Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol Tele-Vision
Internet Service Provider
Information Technology
Main Distribution Frame
Multiple Service Access Node
Outside Plant Maintenance Centre
Personalized Entertainment Option Tele Vision
Public Limited Company
Point-to-Point Protocol over ATM/Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
Public Switched Telephone Network
Registered Jack
South East AsiaMiddle EastWestern Europe
Sri Lanka Telecom
Signal to Noise Ratio
Set Top Box
Special Video On Demand/Video On Demand
Time Shift TV
Tele Vision
Under Ground
Universal Serial Bus
Virtual Channel Identifier
Virtual Path Identifier
Virtual Private Network
Wireless Fidelity
Wi-Fi Protected Access-Pre-Shared Key

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1

My Training Session

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC was given to me as the first training session in my undergraduate program at
university of Peradeniya. In order for me to gain the experience in the industrial section I was recruited
as a trainee at SLT PLC from 11th November 2013 till 17th January 2014. During this valuable period I
was able to learn about the importance of work, how to achieve targets and learn new things. In the
course of the 10 week period I was assigned to numerous places to carry out work.
Table 1.1 Training Schedule
Woty7rk site

1.2

Period

OPMC Kandy CDMA

From
11.11.2013

To
17.11.2013

ADSL

18.11.2013

08.12.2013

MDF

09.12.2013

15.12.2013

New Connection

16.12.2013

29.12.2013

Development

30.12.2013

05.01.2014

Maintenance

06.01.2014

17.01.2014

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT)

Fig. 1.1 SLT Logo

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) is one of Sri Lankas most valuable blue chip companies with a market
capitalization as at 31 December 2013 topping Rs.66 billion. Sri Lanka Telecom is the national ICT
solutions provider and the leading broadband and backbone infrastructure services provider in the
country. The two main shareholders of Sri Lanka Telecom as at year end were the Government of Sri
Lanka which held 49.5% through the Secretary to the Treasury and Global Telecommunication
Holdings N.V. of Netherlands, which owned a 44.98% stake. The balance shares are publicly traded.
Sri Lanka Telecom is the premier telecommunication service provider in Sri Lanka. It provides almost,
every telecommunication service available in the world to its subscribers. It serves its customers with
cutting edge technology coupled with a high quality of service.
Sri Lanka Telecom has a reputed history as the nations leading telecommunication service provider.
Sri Lanka Telecom has been always upgrading its technology in line with ultra-modern technologies in
the world. Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is the pioneer in telecommunications in Sri Lanka and reputed as
the National Telecom Service provider in the country. It ensures the provision of telecom services to
every customer in the country. The SLT group has a customer base of over six million including
multinational corporations, large and small corporate, public sector, retail and domestic customers.
SLT group provides full range of ICT facilities and services in the areas of voice, data, broadband,
wholesale, enterprise, TV and mobile services. At present there are several subsidiaries operating
under Sri Lanka telecom PLC. They are,

Mobitel (Private) Limited

SLT VisionCom (Private) Limited
SLT Human Capital Solutions (Private) Limited
SLT Property Management (Private) Limited
Sri Lanka Telecom (Services) Limited
SKY Network (Private) Limited
SLT Publications (Pvt) Ltd

SLT aims to be a key regional player through its Global Services through multiple international
undersea cable systems through major investments in international submarine cable systems such as
SEA-ME-WE 5, SEA-ME-WE 4, SEA-ME-WE 3, Bharat-Lanka submarine cable system and
Dhiraagu-SLT submarine cable system.
1.2.1 SLT Vision
All Sri Lankans seamlessly connected with world-class information, communication and
entertainment services.
1.2.2 SLT Mission
Your trusted and proven partner for innovative and exciting communication experiences delivered
with passion, quality and commitment.
2

1.2.3 SLT Values

1. Customer Caring
1. We put our customers at the centre of everything we do
2. Trustworthy
1. We are true to our promises
3. Innovative
1. We continuously invent new opportunities through creative thinking
4. Responsive
1. We are ready to listen and act promptly
5. Teamwork
1. We are one team with a common purpose to achieve common goals
6. Excellence
1. We are committed to exceptional performance
7. Results Driven
1. We are committed to enhancing shareholder value

1.2.4 Ownership
Having a massive consumer base over 5 million, in the wide range including multinational
organizations, local organizations, public sector, private/public banking sectors and towards the local
domestic consumers SLT attains over Rs. 50 Billion turn over annually. The primary two shareholders
of SLT are the Sri Lankan Government (49.5%) and the Treasury and Global Telecommunication
Holdings N.V. of Netherlands (44.98%) and the rest of the shares are publicly sold.

1.2.5 Organization Structure

Fig. 1.2 Organization Chart of the SLT

SLT PLC is headed by the chairman and the board of directors. The board consists of 9 members with
Mr Nimal Welagama as the Chairman and Mr Chan Chee Beng, Mr Jeffrey Jay Blatt, Mr Shameendra
Rajapaksa, Mr Jayantha Dharmadasa, Mr Kalinga Indatissa, Mr Lawrence Paratz, Ms Pushpa
Wellappili, Ms Lai Choon Foong as directors. Mr Lalith De Silva heads the management as the CEO
of the telecommunication giant. There are several senior management members appointed to help the
CEO execute his tasks optimally and efficiently. This management consist of Mr Chinthaka C.
Wijesuriya as Chief Operating Officer, Mr Thilak De Silva as Chief Global Officer, Mr P. Roshan
Kaluarachchi as Chief Marketing Officer, Mr D. W. R. Wijeweera as Chief IT Officer, Mr M. B. P.
Fernandez as Chief Network Officer, Mr Priyantha Perera as Chief Administration Officer and Mr S.
K. Lal Ranjith as Chief Corporate Officer.

Fig. 1.3 Operational Footprint of SLT

As shown in fig. 1.3 SLT has divided Sri Lanka into 4 regions and according to these the
telecommunication giant has been developing the organizational structure to suit the customers needs
and enhance the companys reachability and reliability.

1.3

Present Performance of SLT

SLT is the only service provider who have both wired and mobile network. Now there are seven
subsidiaries under its umbrella. It is the first fixed line operator in the country. Yet in the fixed wire
line segment SLT act as the dominant service provider. The existing circuit switched network in SLT is
now migrating to NGN which is optimum solution for convergence. So through this NGN which
combines PSTN networks and IP based networks together. Therefore SLT is trying to give an IP
solution for the rapidly increasing telecommunication demand. MSAN projects are being carried out
throughout the country to enhance the number of subscribers who are connected with the wired
network.
SLT is also the leader in broadband service. These days ADSL2+ which is only offered by SLT is the
premium solution for high speed internet connectivity. Not only that SLT shows its strength in
multimedia services through IPTV (PEOTV).MPLS based IP backbone which spread through a
countrywide optical fibre ring network offers VPN, ADSL and voice VPN. So today Sri Lanka
Telecom has become an integrated service provider. For creating a solid foundation in
telecommunication journey and achieving their vision and mission all the members of the SLT
workforce render a great deal of service through their knowledge and decades of experiences.

1.4

Strength and Weaknesses of SLT

When considering the strengths of SLT its major strength is monopoly in fixed wire line segment.
Customers more prefer wire line when compared to CDMA. On the other hand with the acceleration of
ICT usage all are moving towards high speed wire line broad band access. So dominance of the SLT in
wire line section is a great strength.
The cooperativeness, willingness of the talented staff of SLT, has made the company to become one of
the leading telecommunication service providers in Sri Lanka. They are willing to follow the new
technology. Especially engineers are always trying for new experiments and familiarizing for new
technologies to serve the customers with a reliable, advance and versatile network.
Present coverage of SLT is insufficient to cater the demand. It is a major weakness. Attitudes of the
work force have not yet modified to meet the market driven customer centric business model. So skill
development programs and trainings should be conducted to improve the attitudes of staff.

1.4.1

Chapter 2: SLT OPMC Kandy CDMA Section

On the first day of training I was instructed to report to the head office of Sri Lanka Telecom which I
did on the 11th of November 2013. From there I was assigned to the OPMC Kandy and I reported to the
Kandy OPMC office the following day. Afterwards I was assigned to various sections within the
OPMC as shown in Table 1.1 which I enthusiastically worked at for the ten week training period.
I was assigned to the CDMA section of the OPMC Kandy for the period from 12 th November till 17th
November 2013. The CDMA section is responsible for the repair, troubleshoot and maintenance of
CDMA phones issued officially by the SLT to its customers. The CDMA section was a bit of a
nightmare to start with as there were very unhappy customers with various complaints about the
CDMA phones that they were using. Usually the repair centre would try to repair the phone from
software/firmware wise then go to hardware level, even if then the phone was unable to be repaired as
there was circuitry problems within the phone they were sent to the main repair station at head office
Colombo and the customer was given a replacement phone free of charge.

2.1

CDMA Phone Types

There are 3 main types of CDMA phones that SLT utilizes currently of which only which two are in
production by the respective companies.
1. AIJI CDMA (currently not in production)
2. ZTE CDMA
3. Huawei CDMA
The AIJI CDMA only has one variant while ZTE and Huawei models have different variants. Most of
the CDMA phones use a serial port to communicate with the computer to enable internet access via
CDMA. The newest phone to be offered is the Huawei model which has a USB interface for internet
access.

2.1.1 AIJI CDMA

Fig. 2.4 AIJI CDMA Phone

This was the very first CDMA phone system that SLT introduced to its customers. This phone has not
been currently issued to the customers as it is not in production anymore and Huawei CDMA is the one
which is offered to new customers. This model was from a company called AIJI as shown in Fig. 2.1
and from the customers feedback that we receive from the interaction with them in the repair centre
they always tell that the AIJI system was the best system that SLT offered but since they are not
offering it anymore they are reluctant to continue the use of CDMA. There wasnt any major problem
with the AIJI system, but with age comes trouble. The main problem of this phone at the repair shop
during my training period was that the battery was dead or the charging circuit was out of commission.
The remedy for the battery problem was to replace the battery and for the charging circuit problem I
was instructed to remove the charging switch and solder the switch pins so that the circuit is fully
connected. If the problem persists then there was no other option but to replace the phone to a new
phone that was available at the repair shop.
The software problems were usually resolved by entering the debug mode of the system. The settings
were usually entered as instructed by the technical staff who guided us through the process. The ESN
number which is hardcoded into the hardware of the system was recorded each time a phone was
repaired and customer details were noted down.

2.1.2 ZTE CDMA

Fig. 2.5 ZTE CDMA Phone

The next in line phone after the AIJI system was the ZTE variant. This was somewhat a more faulty
system that the AIJI system as the frequency of this appearing at the repair centre was more often than
the AIJI system.
ZTE had a few variants the Voice only ZTE and the Voice with data enabled ZTE. There was a
marking (symbol) on the back that stated which the variant was. If a customer had a fault with one of
the variants I was advised to check the aforementioned marking and give a suitable replacement if the
problem wasnt fixable.
The most frequent problem that I encountered with the ZTE phones was the battery dying out and the
phone suddenly resetting the solution was to replace the battery with a new one and fix the settings by
entering the debug mode of the phone. The debug mode was similar in all of the ZTE phone variants.
These were accessed by entering a special sequence of numbers in the dial pad. Once accessed the
settings were adjusted so that they suited the SLT network. Another problem that I encountered was the
display panel not working. The solution to that would be to replace the panel. I was advised to remove
a working display from a faulty ZTE phone and replace it with the customers faulty display.
There was no switch in the charging circuit of the ZTE phones compared to the AIJI system. Hence
there were no charging problems, and if there were I was advised to change the charger. If the problem
was not fixable at the repair shop the customers phone would be replaced by a fixed phone or a new
phone that was available at the repair shop and the customers faulty phone would be marked as faulty
and sent to the repair centre at the head office Colombo.

2.1.3 Huawei CDMA

Fig. 2.6 Huawei New CDMA Phone

The Huawei CDMA is the latest phone that SLT offers to its customers. Huawei had some variants but
they all offered voice and data both. The Huawei new phone is shown in Fig. 2.3 and Fig. 2.4 shows an
old Huawei variant.

Fig. 2.7 Huawei Old CDMA Phone

The problem that was frequent with the Huawei old model was the handset not working or the phone
resetting. The solution was to replace the handset and to do debugging using the debugging mode in
the phone. The settings were adjusted according to the advice I received. The battery were replaced
just to ensure customer satisfaction as these batteries could be overcharged later.
The problem with the Huawei new phones were sound problems and settings problems. The phone was
either replaced or a speaker was soldered into the customers faulty phone by checking the availability
of speakers from faulty phones.

10

2.2

CDMA Repair Station My experience

The CDMA repair station of the OPMC Kandy is the best place that follows the 5S system introduced
by the Japanese people. All the places were labelled properly from the cupboard to the pencil holder.
The Repair station has a storage unit which holds all the new equipment as well as the faulty ones
which are to be shipped to the Colombo head repair centre. Once a week the faulty equipment were
shipped in packages and I had the privilege of going through the process of arranging and packaging
the materials to be shipped. I was advised by the technical officer in charge of the repair section in the
proceedings of the packaging.

The chargers, antennas and batteries were packaged separately according to each brand and
kind. These were packed in cardboard boxes and labelled properly.

The faulty phones were shipped separately as phone bases. The phone base is defined as a
CDMA phone without the charger, batteries and antenna. That is the base consists of the phone
and handset only.

These phones were packed in cardboard boxes and labelled properly. One cardboard package
would usually consist of 10 or 12 phones. These were separated by brand and type of the
CDMA phone

The new replacements were all arranged in an orderly manner according to the 5S system. The
chargers and batteries were all neatly placed in separate containers with the respective label
describing the equipment

The new arrived repaired phones were kept inside safely and sent to the repair station
according to the demand for new phones i.e. replacements for repairs.

The repair station was organized according to the 5S system. There was replacement items placed
inside a cupboard properly labelled. This layout made my adaptation towards the work flow very easy
and I got the hang of the things so quickly that I was the one giving advice to my fellow batch mates.
Usually the repairs were done on the spot as the customer waited in the waiting area. The repair area
was very user friendly and easy to work around.
There was some very unhappy customers and I had to face their blame and criticism because of faulty
equipment. The customers were satisfied with the work we were able to accomplish but some were
really furious with the service the SLT has been providing. The work at the CDMA section was fun
and exciting.

11

Chapter 3: SLT OPMC Kandy ADSL/PEOTV

The ADSL/PEOTV section is responsible for the troubleshooting and maintenance of ADSL and
PEOTV equipment issued to SLT customers. The Kandy OPMC has technical staff that travels to SLT
ADSL and PEOTV customers houses and troubleshoot their problems. I was assigned to a technical
staff member, Mr C. Liyanage. I travelled with him during my period at the ADSL section
troubleshooting. This was the most interesting section that I worked in, because this offered excitement
of travel as well as knowledge to fix my own ADSL or PEOTV connection at home. Mr C. Liyanage
was in charge of the area from the Kandy town till Lewella and Katugasthota areas. Most of my travel
was done in the aforementioned areas.

3.1

Basic Connection Types

SLT offers three packages to its customers. These lines are named Mega-Line which can provide all
the three packages in a single as the customer wishes. These packages would be
1. Single Play

This offers only the wired telephone line to the customer. The customer could request
later for an increase of the package. The line is drawn from the nearest distribution
point as soon as payments are settled.

2. Double Play

This package includes the telephone with ADSL internet or the telephone with PEOTV.
The customer must request for the double play package and buy the necessary
equipment which is usually an ADSL router and a splitter for an ADSL internet
connection. For a PEOTV connection the customer must buy additionally an STB
(which is usually included in the instalment charges).

3. Triple Play

This includes all the services SLT offers to its megaline customers. This comes with
telephone, ADSL internet and PEOTV connection. The customer must buy the
necessary hardware required (this can be paid in instalments with the phone bill).

12

Fig. 3.8 Physical setup for a Triple Play Connection

The connection is usually done by SLT supervised staff, but the customer can choose whether to install
them by his/her self. The connection layout should be done according to Fig. 3.1.

3.2

ADSL

ADSL is the one of the latest technologies provided by SLT for internet accessing at high speed and at
a relatively low cost. It is called asymmetric because it facilitates different speeds for downloading
and uploading. Usually downloading speed of ADSL can be more than 10 times the regular
downloading speed of an analogue modem. ADSL customer is always connected to the internet while
the telephone line is always free for voice calls. That is ADSL facilitates simultaneous voice and data
transmission via normal copper local loop.
3.2.1 ADSL Connectivity
The first thing that I learnt was how to access the router via its IP address. The router is normally
addressed as 192.168.1.1 or can be checked using the command prompt using the command shown in
Fig. 3.2.
Then I was advised to access the router via a web browser and check the line status. This is shown in
Fig. 3.3. The line status is explained in Table 3.1. The downstream values are for the data downloading
line and the upstream values are for the data uploading line.

13

Fig. 3.9 Windows IP Configuration

Fig. 3.10 Line Status via Router Access

Table 3.2 Line Attributes

Line
Attributes

Explanation
This is the signal to noise ratio.

SNR

This is usually the one which

Margin

is to be checked. Higher value

means better connection.

Line
Attenuatio
n
Data Rate

This means how much the line

is attenuated by
The data speed the ISP is
providing

14

The Table 3.2 shows the connection reliability based on SNR Margin and the Table 3.3 shows the
connection reliability based on Line Attenuation. If the line expectations are not met the service cannot
be provided and then the problem is transferred to the maintenance section so they would come and
clean the line or draw a new line depending on the situation.
Table 3.3 Connection Reliability based on SNR Margin
SNR Margin
Less than 15 dB
15 20 dB
Greater than 20 dB

Connection Reliability
Very bad. Connection is unreliable and should not be provided
Connection is ok and can be given at supplied data rate.
Excellent connection. Data rate can be increased if requested.

Table 3.4 Connection Reliability based on Line Attenuation

Line Attenuation

Connection Reliability

20dB and below

Outstanding

20dB-30dB

Excellent

30dB-40dB

Good

40dB-45dB

Ok connection

45dB-50dB

50 dB or above

Poor and may experience connectivity issues.

Line to be checked before issuing connection.
Bad and will experience connectivity issues.
Line not to be offered

The connection was given only and only if both the criteria are met. I was advised to check the phone
line rosette for any loose connection and any visible damages to the line so that if it was fixable we
were supposed to fix it without filing a report to the maintenance unit. Most of the ADSL problems
were due to customers unawareness of IT knowledge.

15

3.2.2 Router configuration

As I mentioned earlier the router can be accessed via a web browser using the default gateway address
of the router.

Fig. 3.11 Router Interface Setup

Once logged into the router the interface setup tab should be clicked. Then the values for the VPI and
VCI should be entered as 8 and 35 respectively as shown in Fig. 3.4. Afterwards the username and
password must be entered and the encapsulation should be selected as PPPoE LLC. The ISP should be
selected as PPPoA/PPPoE. Then the router should be restarted and the customer should be connected
to the World Wide Web via SLT ISP. The customer receives a username and password upon
confirmation from the head office.
3.2.3 Wi-Fi Configuration
SLT offers Wi-Fi routers. These can be similarly configured as well. The Wi-Fi should be configured
as shown in Fig 3.5 with a password and an SSID entered as the customer wishes. The network
authentication type should be set as WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK and encryption should be TKIP/AES as
this offers the best possible security offered by the router. This would differ from router to router.

16

Fig. 3.12 Wi-Fi Configuration

3.3

IPTV PEOTV

IPTV is a system for delivering television programming via a broadband connection using Internet
protocols. Since IPTV arrives over telephone lines, telephone companies are in a prime position to
offer IPTV services initially.
SLT is the pioneer of providing IPTV service in Sri Lanka and it is the one and only IPTV service
provider. The IPTV service provided by SLT is named as PEOTV.
The requirements to get provided with PEOTV
1. A broad band connection.
2. An ADSL router is necessary for connecting SLT broadband network to enable access to
PEOTV service and SLT broad band internet service.
3. A Set Top Box (STB) is needed for decoding the PEOTV signal so that it can be viewed on the
television set.
4. A Splitter.
PEOTV stands for Personalized Entertainment Option Tele Vision. SLT offers various entertainment
options through this service. These would be

Live TV

TSTV (Time Shift TV)

VOD (Video On Demand)

17

SVOD (Special VOD)

3.3.1 Configuration for PEOTV

Fig. 3.13 PEOTV Configuration

First the router is accessed via web browser. Then a new Virtual circuit is selected and its VPI and VCI
values are entered as 8 and 36 respectively as shown in Fig. 3.6. The ISP is selected as Bridge Mode
and encapsulation as 1483 Bridged IP LLC. Then the settings were saved and the router is restarted.
There are some configuration to be done in the STB (Set Top Box) using a special code input from the
remote. Then the username and password is entered via the PEOTV remote. Then the customers
requested PEOTV package would be activated and the customer would enjoy uninterrupted
entertainment.

18

3.3.2 PEOTV Packages

Fig. 3.14 PEOTV Packages offered by SLT

19

Chapter 4: SLT OPMC Kandy MDF

MDF is an interface between telephone exchange and telephone cables. This has two sides, the line
side (UG side) and the exchange side. At the time of installation of exchange all telephone channels are
terminated at the exchange side of the MDF. The multi pair underground cables that are coming from
different areas are terminated at the separate tag blocks in the other side (UG side). When a new
connection is given the exchange sides relevant points and line sides relevant points are connected by
using small cable called a jumper wire.
On the other hand MDF provides functions such as safe guarding exchange equipment from over
current and over voltages that might come from the line side by means of arrestors installed in tag
blocks, isolation of subscribers from the exchange and easy extension of subscribers to a separate test
desk. So MDF is known as a flexibility point, testing point and a protective device. MDF is a passive
device that it has no need of electrical power to operate.

Fig. 4.15 MDF Arrangements

20

4.1

Test Room

The test room is also a part of the MDF which is used to test the line connection and reliability. This
consists of a test phone which can be plugged into the line which is to be checked. The problems
encountered in the lines would be

Line disconnection

Line short circuit

Grounding faults

Current faults

These problems would be overcome by using the test phone. Usually a high voltage ring is applied to
remove oxide and hence remove current faults. This voltage would be around 100V which is twice the
normal operating voltage. The grounding faults, short circuit faults and disconnection faults can be
found by measuring the voltage between the lines. There is a device with the test phone that is used to
detect the type of the fault. These faults can only be found from the test room and must be fixed in the
field.
4.2

Wiring at MDF

In the MDF different wire pairs were used for the different types of connections that were required.
The Table 4.1 shows the colour codes for these wires.
Table 4.5 Wire Colours used in MDF

4.3

Wire Colour

Used for

Red and White

PSTN

Black and White

ADSL

Blue and White

High Priority Data Line

Connections and Arrestors

There are three different frames in the Kandy MDF. These are Krone, Ericsson and MSAN. These
frames are connected to the exchange side via arrestors which protects the exchange side due to high
voltage charges from the telephone lines. This damage is nearly prevented as the arrestors are placed in
the customer side of the MDF. The Fig. 4.2 shows such a burnt arrestor.

21

Fig. 4.16 A burnt arrestor

22

Chapter 5: SLT OPMC Kandy New Connection

5.1

Introduction

The new connection section is responsible for the setting up of new connections to the new customers
and removing connections from the past customers. This section usually draws a wire line from the
nearest distribution point to the customers house. The work I did was really interesting in this section
as it was somewhat similar to the ADSL section and there was field travel involved.
5.1.1 Issuing a new connection
When the phone connection is considered the copper wires run from the exchange to the customer.
These wires were interchanged at two points which were the cabinet and the DP (Distribution Point is
shown in Fig. 5.2. In the Kandy town area the primary side of the cabinet is connected to the exchange
via underground cables. The secondary side is wired to the DP. When a new connection is given the
nearest DP box to the customers house is found and a loop from the DP is drawn to the customers
house to the telephone. A DP box usually contains 10 loops. Most of the cabinets are intercepted
through an MSAN which is connected by optical fibre to the exchange. An MSAN is shows in Fig.
5.1.

Fig. 5.17 A MSAN

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Fig. 5.18 A DP

5.2

Cables used

5.2.1 RJ45/CAT5
This is called the Ethernet cable and is used to connect the router to the STB for PEOTV or used to
connect a computer to a router. The colour code on how to connect the cable is shown in Fig. 5.3.
The crimping tool is used to clip the wires tight in place. The wires are to be cut about 0.5 inches and
then arranged as in Fig. 5.3 on both the ends of wires and crimped using the crimping tool which is
showed in Fig. 5.4.
5.2.2 RJ11/Copper line
The RJ11 clip is used in phone lines. This is just a normal copper wire. The RJ11 consists of 4 pins but
only 2 pins are used as only two copper wires were used in the line drawn. Hence the centre two pins
were used for the phone line and crimped properly using the crimping tool. An RJ11 clip is shown in
Fig. 5.5

Fig. 5.19 RJ45 Wiring Pattern

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Fig. 5.20 Crimping Tool

Fig. 5.21 RJ11 Clip

Chapter 6: OPMC Kandy Development

During the session I was in this section I noticed that the duties of this section were to draw (connect)
cables from the exchange to the cabinets. These connection normally would be over ground but as for
the Kandy town it would mainly be underground. Sometimes the lines would be drawn underground
even on remote areas.
6.1

Cables

Typically 0.4mm and 0.9mm gauges were used for underground and aerial cables.
Aerial cables have 20, 30, 50, 100, 150 and 200 pair cables while underground cables have 10, 20, 30,
50, 100, 200, 400 and up to 2400 pair cables.
6.1.1 Installation
Conduit numbering is done in such way that the order of numbering of the exchange side is reversed in
the customer side of the cable conduit.
6.1.2 Cable Length
There should be surplus at the end of the cable for splicing.

80 cm surplus for Test Splicing

50 cm surplus for regular Splicing

6.1.3 Cut end of cable

After the cable layout is done cut ends should be sealed with a PVC cap to prevent moisture from
getting in and distorting the signal of the cable.
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Chapter 7: OPMC Kandy Maintenance

The maintenance section is in charge of maintaining the uninterrupted service that is to be supplied by
the telecommunication giant. The work that I faced here was very similar to the new connection
section, the only difference was that this section only did repair and maintenance work whereas the
new connection section drew new lines from the DPs.
7.1

Normal Maintenance

The work I was tasked with was to go with the maintenance crew and observe what they were doing. I
was given instructions by the engineer in charge of the maintenance section Mr C. P. Pathirana to give
a report on the observations during my stay at the maintenance section. Me and my colleague did this
field survey and submitted a report. A very brief version of this report is given in Table 7.1. We
observed all the DPs in the given lane and how the loop cables run along the telephone posts. We
learnt by the observation that the DPs are numbered in such a way that the farthest DP from the cabinet
is given the number 1 and the numbers were increasing as the line drew closer to the cabinet.
Table 7.6 Observation report given to SLT in brief
Cabinet Number
KY 206
KY 206
KY 206

DP Number
28
29
30

KY 206

31

KY 206

33

KY 206

36

Remarks
DP box is partially open.
DP box is partially open.
DP box is partially open.
Obstruction of branches.
DP box partially opened.
DP box cover not present.
Missing earth connection.
DP box partially opened.

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7.2

Maintenance Coin box section

The coin box section is also under the maintenance section and is in charge of maintaining the coin
boxes placed by SLT throughout the city. There are two coin box types. These would be

CDMA
PSTN

7.2.1 CDMA coin box

This coin box has a circuit similar to the normal CDMA phone and uses CDMA technology. Basically
there is a CDMA phone inside it. The CDMA phone connects to a server in Colombo and provides all
the details about the phone to the server. Hence by accessing this information via the CLARITY
software used by SLT we can see the details about the phone such as

Amount of money (i.e. if coin box is full or not)

Location of the coin box
Coin Jams
Amount of phone calls taken since last reset and etc.

The CDMA coin boxes require power to operate hence there is an internal battery in the circuitry. This
battery supplies power to the coin box while the solar panels inserted above charges the battery.
Replacement of the battery is done when the battery completely dies out.
7.2.2 PSTN coin box
This coin box system cannot give much information as the CDMA ones as there is only cable
connection to the phone. This system requires no external power to operate hence no charging is
required. This system requires regular maintenance and is no longer newly implemented as it is a
hassle to work with.
7.2.3 Coin box Mechanism
One of the key components in the coin box is the coin detection and valuation mechanism. The
mechanism is shaped in Z shape to prevent any theft operations. This mechanism differentiates the
coin value by size, weight and type of the material of the coin.

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Fig. 7.22 Mechanism of a coin box

Chapter 8: Conclusion
I was assigned to Sri Lanka Telecom for a period of 10 weeks for my first training session as an
undergraduate of the University of Peradeniya. This session gave me an immense understanding of the
practical situations of the communication systems as well as human resource handling or human
related affairs.
When considering the technical affairs, I was able to gain experience on maintenance procedures and
instalment procedures followed by SLT in the service they provide to the community. The
demonstration of the network layout and interconnecting different customers via MDF was an eyeopener for the academic work that I learnt at the university.
When focusing on the non-technical related learning, I was able to grasp the importance of human
resource handling and to communicate to a much wider personnel levels in this training session. I had
the ability to get the impressions from the lowest grade personnel to the highest grade personnel as I
was interacting with almost everyone in the OPMC section. The work with the low grade technical
staff helped me understand the miscommunications between the workforce levels. These minor things
that had happened helped me understand that by correcting these miscommunications any company
would thrive to its utmost success. These facts have determined me to improve such mistakes in a
place I would work for in the future.
Learning to work in a well-developed and organized is a tedious process. Since this is my first training
experience I have managed to grasp the handle of it and had grown an eager to do my second training
session even more effectively and efficiently. The experience I gained in different divisions helped me
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understand the importance of each division and the importance of the dependency and the interactions
between these divisions.
During my training period I was mostly involved in maintenance related processes hence as a
suggestion in improving the industrial training process I would prefer to be involved in the
implementation and design work under guidance and supervision as well to some certain extent. This
would enable the engineering trainee to grasp the fundamentals of a system rather than just skimming
through the details in maintenance work.

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