161 towers project now rolled-out with pilot tower at Tenakoga

The 161 government backed towers roll out has got underway this week with the first of the three pilot towers on Guadalcanal.

The roll out started yesterday at Tenakoga with the first of the three to be piloted under the project, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and Aviation Moses Virivolomo exclusively told SBMOnline.

He said engineers who are working under the project had gone to Tenakoga to start working on the first tower.

The 161 towers are part of a government plan to bring communication to the rural Solomons. The project is funded by China under a $65MUSD loan.

Virivolomo said the first pilot tower is the first on Guadalcanal and the province will have around 30 additional towers by end of next year.

He said besides Malaita which rejected 27 towers under the project, all the provinces have welcomed the construction of towers in their provinces.

Virivolomo said with the first tower work has now underway to build the towers as promised by the government.

The towers is jointly carried out by Huawei and its Solomon Islands stakeholders.

News@SBMOnline2022