Colombo, March 26 (IANS) A Sri Lankan telecom official said on Tuesday that plans were underway to transform Polonnaruwa district into the country's first "Smart City" following several projects launched to upgrade education, health and transportation.

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Chairman Kumarasinghe Sirisena told the media that the government was discussing the transformation of Polonnaruwa by launching the smart health, smart education, and smart transportation concept, which will accelerate economic development and social progress in the district, reports Xinhua news agency. Sirisena said that the Smart City concept was a possibility as the SLT had now covered the entire country with ultra-fast fibre-optic connectivity. This would help upgrade education, health, and transportation. Under the government's Smart City project, 2,500 schools will be connected through a wireless connection to enable smart education in Sri Lanka. The initial discussions have been completed, and the government hopes to connect these schools within this year, Sirisena said.