SYDNEY, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The handover ceremony for the China-aided National Broadband Infrastructure Project in the Solomon Islands was held on Friday in Tenaru, east of the Pacific island country's capital Honiara.

Speaking on behalf of the Solomon Islands government, Minister for Communication and Aviation Frederick Kologeto expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for its concessional financing of the project.

He said the project has significantly improved the country's communications infrastructure and stands as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

In his speech at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands Cai Weiming said the project is the first concessional loan project provided by China to the Solomon Islands and will help bridge the country's digital divide while injecting fresh momentum into its development.

The project was financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and jointly built by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

According to Wang Xingya, CHEC's general manager in the Solomon Islands, the project covers all nine provinces and 35 major islands across the country, with 161 3G/4G base stations spanning approximately 1,600 kilometers.

It has increased national broadband population coverage from 56 percent to 86 percent, significantly improving connectivity in remote island communities, Wang said, adding that the network supports a wide range of services, including distance education, telehealth, inter-island commerce, digital government services and emergency communications, benefiting more than 800,000 people across the country. ■