BY NED GAGAHE
Solomon Telekom Company Limited (Our Telekom) and Solomon Tower Limited (STL) have signed a major commercial agreement to strengthen telecommunications services across the Solomon Islands.
The signing ceremony took place at the STL office in Honiara on Friday.
Under the agreement, Our Telekom will utilise STL’s national telecommunications towers, with both parties sharing revenue from call and data usage.
The deal, which took effect in March 2024, will be reviewed every three years.
Our Telekom’s Chief Operating Officer, Robertson Szetu and STL Board Chairman McKinnie Dentana, who is also the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, signed the agreement.
The event was witnessed by key officials, including Finance Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Ministry of Communication & Aviation Permanent Secretary Alwyn Danitofea, and Our Telekom’s Head of Legal, Wickly Faga.
The partnership is expected to enhance digital connectivity and support the government’s efforts to improve telecommunications infrastructure.
China-Funded Tower Project Begins Generating Revenue
Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands National Broadband Infrastructure Project (SINBIP) has started earning income, with 25 operational towers bringing in SBD$2.3 million in gross revenue as of December 2024. STL, the state-owned company managing the project, expects revenue to increase as more towers become operational.
A portion of the earnings will be used to repay the $66 million loan from China’s Exim Bank, which financed the project.
As of April 10, 2025, 102 of the planned 161 towers have been constructed, with 28 already operational and 37 awaiting activations. The remaining towers are expected to be completed by August 2026.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has praised the project describing it as a key driver of national development under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Once completed, the network will provide 3G/4G coverage to 80 percent of the population, significantly improving connectivity in remote areas.
This agreement and the progress of the SINBIP project mark a major step forward in modernizing the Solomon Islands’ telecommunications infrastructure.
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