- PT Media
Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Honorable Manasseh Sogavare, will officially break ground to launch the National Broadband Infrastructure Project on 2nd August 2023. The ceremony will be held at a project site in Central Guadalcanal, where the Prime Minister, alongside the Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands, H.E. Li Ming, will inaugurate the SIBIP, facilitating the construction of up to 161 towers nationwide.
The contracting agreement with the vendor and contractor, Huawei and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, was finalized in August 2022. In a joint statement issued by the Ministry of Communications and Aviation last year, the government confirmed that the SINBIP would be entirely funded by a 20-year term concessional loan of approximately CNY 448.9 million from the Exim Bank of China, carrying an interest rate of one percent (1.0%).
This funding arrangement marks a historic financial partnership between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Solomon Islands, following the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 2019. Both countries are closely collaborating to ensure the successful implementation and operation of the SINBIP.
The SINBIP holds significant importance as it is listed as one of the priority projects of the National Government. Notably, it aligns not only with the DCGA (Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement) Policy Statement but also with the Solomon Islands National Infrastructure Investment Plan (2013), National ICT Policy (2015), and Solomon Islands National Development Strategy 2016-2035 (2016).
The groundwork for the SINBIP was laid in 2019 when a feasibility study on the project was submitted. After receiving a cabinet endorsement, a Steering Committee comprising senior staff from relevant government ministries was established to review the SINBIP feasibility proposal presented by Huawei. The committee's task was to evaluate not only the project's financial and economic viability but also its technical compatibility with the country's existing telecommunication infrastructure.
With the official launch of the National Broadband Infrastructure Project, Solomon Islands looks forward to enhancing its digital connectivity and empowering its citizens with improved access to communication networks. This milestone project is expected to play a crucial role in the nation's socio-economic development and growth.
More on this coming soon...
Solomon Islands 
Papua New Guinea 
