Connectivity Providers Database

From: Vicumpriya Perera <vicum@math.ohio-state.edu> To: Sri Lanka Net <slnet@lacnet.org> Date: Tue, 30 Apr 1996 11:14:00 -0400 (EDT) directors@lacnet.org c/o Department of Electrical Engineering http://www.lacnet.org University of Peradeniya 64E South Westmoor Avenue Peradeniya Newark OH 43055 USA Sri Lanka Dr. Louiqa Raschid, President Dr. Vicumpriya Perera, Secretary/Treasurer Directors: Dr. Lalith Gamage, Mr. Mano Pallewatte, Dr. Kavan Ratnatunga Dr. Nimal Ratnayake, Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana ANNUAL REPORT (June 1995 - May 1996) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.Obtained non profit status for LAcNet in the USA . 2.Purchased and installed a LAcNet machine / web server / mail server (lacnet.org) 3.Successfully handed over the U.S. - Sri Lanka e-mail telephone relay that LAcNet has been maintaining since 1990 to the Lanka Educational And Research Network (LEARN), which now has direct Internet access through Sri Lanka Telecom. 4.Launched the Sunday Times project between Sunday Times and InfoLabs. 5.Provided seed money to support LEARN Phase II, effective June 1996, for a period of one year. DETAILED REPORT ITEM ONE We lodged an application for Non Profit Status with the Internal Revenue Service of the United States of America on March 16, 1995. We received approval on July 31, 1995. ITEM TWO Through the generous support of SLNet members worldwide, we raised US $ 4330.62 to purchase a Pentium from Gateway 2000. The machine was purchased on August 7 1994 at a cost of US $ 3307.00 It is lacnet.org and it currently resides at Stanford University. Additional money will be used for maintenance and upgrades. This server lacnet.org currently supports the following: o mail exchanger for some ac.lk sites in LK; o backup mail exchanger for all of ac.lk; o secondary name server for ac.lk and .lk; o WWW server for LAcNet; o SLNet hub; o backup SLNet relay; o SLNet forum site; o WWW and ftp server for the Sunday Times project; o future LAcNet/SLNet FTP site; ITEM THREE Since 1990 LAcNet has been funding and operating a telephone/modem electronic mail relay for the LEARN network. In November 1995, LAcNet handed over this relay to the LEARN project, which now has direct Internet access via Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). SLT is operating a 64Kbps line from its hub at the OTS buildingin Colombo, to the University of Moratuwa. Maintaining this line is underwritten by the University Grants Commission who support LEARN Phase I. The cost of the Internet connection is being paid by the Computer and Information Technology Council of Sri Lanka (CINTEC). ITEM FOUR LAcNet supported Wijeya Newspapers and InfoLabs Ltd of Sri Lanka to post a weekly edition of the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka on the World Wide Web. The aim was to provide an independent view of the News from Lanka with complete versions of the feature articles in the newspaper. Launched on March 3, 1996, the site grew very rapidly and has a weekly readership of about 1500 (30K hits). The site has provided publicity to the LAcNet web site. For example, about 100 persons now access the SLNet-Forum site each week. The total operational costs paid by LAcNet is US $ 667.00 for a 2 month trial and six months of operation. ITEM FIVE LAcNet continues its involvement and support of LEARN. We have granted seed money to LEARN, in the sum of Rs. 10K per month, effective June 1996, for a period of one year. This is a commitment of US $ 2400. One possible use of these funds would be to establish a LAcNet Fellowship to hire a LEARN engineer. LEARN is now moving towards implementing Phase II. The major components and activities of LEARN Phase II are as follows: o dial-up LEARNmail service; o dedicated LEARN network, linking the various universities and institutes; o dial-up Internet web browsing service. It is hoped that LEARN II will also be successful in recovering money due to LAcNet from various universities for providing e-mail service in 1994-1995. Any money recovered is expected to be utilized in support of LEARN. Board of Directors, LAcNet May 1996