New research into Australian-supported telecommunication towers has uncovered far-reaching benefits for both community and national security.
According to the ‘Connecting Communities’ research report, the six towers (located in Choiseul, Isabel, Malaita and Western Province) are helping families, teachers and healthcare workers to stay connected, and are streamlining operations for local businesses.
Vadede was previously one of the most hard-to-reach areas in Choiseul and struggled with poor or non-existent network coverage.
Tribal Chief Lemeus Manavakana said the new tower has lifted a burden from the community.
“Before, our people had to climb up hills or paddle far out to sea to find a signal. It was frustrating and sometimes dangerous,” Chief Manavakana said.
“Now we can call our families overseas or receive important news with ease. Life has truly changed for the better.”
At the local primary school, Chair Gerald Mingasipo said the impact on education has been life changing.
“Teachers now use their phones to plan lessons and download e-learning materials,” Mr Mingasipo said. “This is a big help – especially when we don’t have many physical resources in the school.”
The research also found wide-reaching maritime security and disaster response benefits of the remote towers.
Chair of Our Telekom, Mr Baoro Koraua, said the towers had closed communication blind spots around Solomon Islands to improve border security and emergency responses to natural disasters.
“The three towers in Shortland Islands (Kamaleai, Kariki and Nila) enable better management of the border with Papua New Guinea, and aid a faster response in times of natural disasters,” Mr Koraua said.
“It is a big asset for the country and opens up communication to the people.”
Acting Australian High Commissioner, Andrew Schloeffel, said improving internet connectivity is critical for engaging with local and global opportunities.
“Connecting to digital infrastructure is connecting to the future. These towers, together with the SBD1.1 billion high speed Coral Sea Cable, have opened Solomon Islands to a world of health, education and business opportunities,” Mr Schloeffel said.
“Our direct grant support to Our Telekom is a gift from the people of Australia to Solomon Islands, meaning there is no loan or cost to the government.”
The towers project also benefited communities by creating local jobs during both construction and maintenance phases, with each tower engaging a local caretaker for both the tower and power system.
The project employed 150 local workers during installation across all six sites, and the towers are maintained by Our Telekom staff rather than relying on external expertise.
The research estimates over 7,000 people benefit from the new Our Telekom-owned, community-run towers.
– AHC
