MORE SOLOMON ISLANDERS TO OWN SMART PHONES

-
BY GEORGINA KEKEA

BY 2025 the number of Solomon Islanders owning smart phones will double.

This is attributed to the improvements to Internet services that are expected with the build-out of the new submarine cable known as the Coral Sea Cable System.

The Coral Sea Cable System will link PNG to the Solomon Islands, with a connecting cable to the Australian (Sydney) landing station. 
In addition, the planned launch of the Kacific-1 satellite in late 2019 should also improve broadband satellite capacity for the Solomon Islands. 

Meanwhile the Telecommunication Solomon Islands (TCSI) 2018 Annual Report says Telecommunication Services continue to be the single most important driver of economic growth and diversification in Solomon Islands. 

 "Active mobile connections in 2018 rose to 482,029 an increase of 4% compared with 2017", the report said. 

 Overall gross revenue from telecommunications services increased marginally from SBD$376.3 million in 2017 to SBD$379.8 million in 2018.

 "This is reflected both the competition for customers and the continuing work upgrades to mobile and fixed wireless services in Western province, Malaita and Honiara". 

 The report says better signal coverage and access in the rural areas has added new customers. The increase in connections has also raised the national mobile penetration rate to 80 percent compared with 17 percent in 2017.
The ongoing competitive discounts in data plans and bundles have also stimulated new demand for internet access and usage, the TCSI report says.

 TCSI says the total volume of data downloads from cells phone continue to increase and is expected to grow at a faster rate. 

 In 2018 alone, Solomon Islanders downloaded 1,370 terabytes of data from cell phones and 876 terabytes from fixed lines.

 "The substantial increase was for mobile of some 111 percent compared to 105 percent in 2017", the TCSI report said.

 The new capacity of the undersea cable will be some 2,000 time larger than the country's current usage.

 ENDS///

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VANUATU BIGGEST IMPORTER OF CANNED TUNA FROM SOLOMON ISLANDS

-
Image
BY GEORGINA KEKEA VANUATU is the biggest importer of canned tuna from Solomon Islands. National Fisheries Development (NFD) Limited Managing Director, Frank Wickham shared this information in a recent radio talkback show to mark World Tuna Day. Wickham says the biggest export destination for SolTuna’s canned tuna is Vanuatu. “Followed by Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the market is now open in New Zealand. There is a big move now to promote and market in New Zealand and Australia. We have containers going to Kiribati, Tuvalu with a few to Tonga and Marshall Islands. The biggest of them all is Vanuatu”, Wickham said. He says domestically the consumption of tuna is growing annually making Solomon  Islands one of the biggest canned tuna consumption per capita in the world. “Two years ago it was like more than 800,000 cartons a year. which means for every woman, man and child in the country, they consume one carton a year. So if you look at 48 tin cans in one carton, it is almost one can a wee
Read more

SMALL FISH IN BIG POND LAUNCHES WEBSITE

-
Image
By EDDIE OSIFELO NEW and upcoming accommodation establishment DD Holiday Inn at Mbumburu, West Honiara, launched its website yesterday as part of its marketing drive to get itself out to a wider audience. People can access the website on:   https://www.ddholidayinn.sb Owners of the Inn, John and Nester Deve, Strongim Bisnis Senior Advisor, James Mcgoon and journalists attending a one-week Economics of Tourism workshop witnessed the event.  John Deve and wife, Nester Deve T he Economics of Tourism workshop, which was jointly funded by PACMAS and Strongem Bisnis, was conducted at DD Holiday Inn’s magnificent, opened-side thatched conference room.   A private Information Technology (IT) company, Arietech, designed the website.   Deve, a former Police officer, told the small gathering the website was the culmination of many years of struggle as a indigenous businessman.    He said it was a long journey in life, which he sees as blessing. “I have been in few businesses,
Read more

HOW A TINY PROVINCE IN SOLOMON ISLANDS REACHES OUT TO AUSTRALIA

-
Image
THE small island province of Temotu in the far eastern part of Solomon Islands is one of the nation’s most prone natural hazard areas. The tsunami in 2013 swamped through 20 villages With an estimated population of less than 25,000, Temotu often has its bouts of natural disasters. In 2015, tropical cyclone Pam left devastating effects on the tiny province where people were affected from damages to their fruit trees, food gardens and agricultural crops. People near the coast were evacuated. Then again in 2017, TC Donna in its wake and formation also impacted badly on the people of Temotu. Not to mention it was only seven years ago a tsunami claimed lives of more than 10 people, swamped more than 20 villages forcing the government to declare a state of emergency over the Santa Cruz Islands. Remains of household in Venga village after 2013 tsunami (Photo supplied) Their most recent bout of disaster was in January 2019 where bad weather caused people to face food shortag
Read more