Telecommunication services have been severely affected in parts of the Central Province after fiber optic lines were damaged by the prevailing disaster situation, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission said.

Director General Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Bandula Herath told BBC that systems in Nuwara Eliya, Passara, Kadugannawa and Welimada have collapsed, with repair work currently underway. However, restoration in Nuwara Eliya remains challenging due to unsafe conditions.

Power outages affecting telecom towers have further delayed full recovery, as towers require electricity to function.

Meanwhile, telcos have decided not to disconnect postpaid connections exceeding limits and will provide support for prepaid users, offering up to 1GB free data, 250–300 SMS and up to Rs.300 credit during this emergency.