BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Navy and telecommunication corporations are cooperating to upgrade the communication systems on some South China Sea islands and reefs, the official People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily reported Friday.
The PLA Navy's South China Sea Fleet has signed framework agreements to cooperate with the Hainan branches of China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom -- China's three largest telecom operators -- on comprehensively upgrading the civil communication system on the Xisha and Nansha islands and reefs.
When completed in May, the project will bringing 4G+ services to these islands and reefs, the report said.
The project will greatly increase the number of telecommunication base stations on some islands and reefs, such as Yongxing, Yongshu, and Meiji. The operators also promised more affordable service packages for users.
In addition to improvements in the living conditions for civilians and military on the islands and reefs, the upgrade is also expected to provide support for fishery, emergency response, maritime search and rescue, and humanitarian relief efforts in nearby waters, the report said.
