Our Telekom is pleased to announce the signing of contracts with the civil contractors for the construction of six (6) towers at the Borders of Solomon Islands. The signing of the contracts was completed on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023. The ceremony was held at Our Telekom Head Office at Ranadi, Honiara and was witnessed by the Australian High Commissioner, Rod Hilton and Staff from the Australian High Commission.
The six towers will be built in Kariki, Nila, Kamaleai in the Shortland Islands, Vadede in Choiseul, Kia in Isabel and Pelau in Malaita. The civil contractors are James Engineering who is contracted to build the towers in Kariki, Nila, and Kamaleai in Shortlands. Aspire Engineering will do the Vadede tower in Choiseul. PT Multitrade will construct the tower in Kia, Isabel, and Trades Transformation will build the Pelau tower in Malaita outer islands.
According to the Chief Technical Officer, Michael Palmer of Our Telekom, the civil contractors have undergone thorough assessments and met all the necessary technical requirements. The contractors have the necessary qualifications and experience to undertake the project to a high standard, and they will ensure that the towers are constructed according to the design specifications. Thus, this ceremony marks a significant milestone for the local civil contractors as they are being recognized for their expertise in constructing telecommunication towers in the country.
Our Telekom CEO Christina Lasaqa adds, "We are so grateful for the support from the Australian Government in providing the necessary funds in financing the six towers to improve telecommunication services in remote areas of the Solomon Islands. With the construction of these towers, it will provide better connectivity and improve the lives of our people in these areas."
The Australian High Commissioner, Rod Hilton, said the six towers will increase connectivity in one of the most remote parts of Solomon Islands under the Australia Solomon Islands economic partnership. We support projects that provide jobs and deliver for Solomon Islanders. It is great to see critical infrastructure being built by Solomon Islanders for Solomon Islanders and we value our partnership with Our Telekom and are pleased to fund this project, strengthening connectivity across Solomon Islands.
About Our Telekom:
Solomon Telekom Company Limited (Our Telekom) is a local private company with majority shareholding by Solomon Islands National Provident Fund, (SINPF) which holds 97.32% of the shares, and the Investment Corporation of the Solomon Islands (ICSI), which owns 2.68% of the shares.
Our Telekom is a full-service provider with the largest mobile footprint in the Solomon Islands. Services include; Mobile 2G/3G/4G LTE, Fixed lines, VDSL & GPON, Wired/Wireless Broadband, FTTP, IPVPN, Domain & email provisioning, DR facilities management, Co-location, IT desktop services, IPLC services, Television services, and VOD services.
About DFAT:
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid, consular services and trade and investment
