The Solomon Islands Government has opened the telecommunications market to competition.
Solomon Telekom Limited has received a new license in exchange for its old one, ending its monopoly over telecommunications services in the country.
The exchange of licenses was a requirement of the Telecommunications Act 2009 and the Government's Settlement Agreement entered into earlier this year with Solomon Telekom.
Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua says it's a key milestone in a process which has lasted over a year.
Dr Sikua says he expects competition between Solomon Telekom and the new mobile provider will bring significant improvements in quality, price and coverage of services.
He says he's also looking forward to welcoming other providers to the market after April 2011 as permitted by the Telecommunications Act.
A new license for a mobile telecommunications provider is expected to be granted within about a week.
