First stage of cable deal signed

According to the ABC, the cable will run for about 4000 kilometers from Australia, and is valued at over AUD$100 Million in the Australian national aid budget, which is estmated to be over $500 Million in Solomon Dollars.

The signing also comes in light after Australia flexed its political muscle in revoking the country’s original contract with Chinese Telecommunications giants ‘Huawei’ in July last year, due to security concerns.

The ABC also reports, the Australian government believed that while Huawei is an independent company, it retains links to the Chinese government and could pose a threat to Australian infrastructure in the future.

Australia already has a number of underwater cables connected around the region, but this deal is expected to bring about fast Internet connections to the Solomon Islands, and speed up communication links, one of the slowest in the region.

By: Lowen Sei.