A Chinese navy contract to upgrade telecom services on islands in the disputed South China Sea confirms the Beijing government’s intent to step up its control of the waterway for gains in research, exploration and military coordination, analysts say.

The military will be able to use the improved network as needed, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

A 4G network would help coordination between garrisons at sea in wartime or peace time, Koh said. Soldiers would have “closer contact” with family in mainland China, he said, a boost for their “quality of living.”

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