Transmitting telegrams using a network of postal messengers across the country was too expensive, Postal Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said, adding that they could not compete with phones and text messages for speed.
“It is too costly. Telegrams have competition from email, courier and SMS (short message services) on mobile phones,” Fernando told AFP.
http://www.ft.lk/2011/06/09/sri-lanka-scraps-telegram-service/