Pacific nations are still considering Elon Musk’s Starlink despite hopes its satellites will connect remote islands

go through Doug Dingwall and Marian CuppABC News

On a remote island in central Tonga, Glenn Duncan needed internet.

Without a way to communicate with guests and monitor natural disaster alerts online, his resort on the Pacific island nation of Ha’apai wouldn’t have survived.

Elon Musk’s Starlink internet kept him connected after an undersea cable in Tonga broke late last month, possibly due to an earthquake.

This isn’t the first time he’s relied on the service, with a volcanic eruption and tsunami in 2022 causing internet outages in Tonga.

“Without Starlink, our business would have failed a long time ago,” Duncan said.

“We would have so many safety issues. We would not be able to continue operating, absolutely not.”

Others in Ha’apai and Vava’u in northern Tonga also switched to Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite internet after an undersea cable was severed.

But last week, the Tongan government decided to close it.

Starlink, which has been trying to get a license to operate permanently in Tonga, emailed customers saying it had been asked by the Tonga Ministry of Communications to disable its services.

The Tongan government says it cannot allow companies to provide internet services without a licence because Residents expressed their discontent through a petition that garnered 1,400 signatures..

“We’re not sure why Starlink would be banned, given that it keeps us safe, allows families to communicate, and allows businesses to operate,” Duncan said.

On Friday, the Tongan government backed down and granted Starlink an exemption from regulatory laws, allowing it to operate in Tonga for six months.

But as negotiations continue over making Starlink permanent, its users say they need it for reliable internet access.

Some netizens have criticized the government’s reluctance to allow Starlink to operate in Tonga, arguing that the government is trying to protect its state-owned telecommunications company.

The outcry from Tonga is the latest in a series of incidents that has seen the company suspend its access to the Pacific.

Supporters say the advantages of low-orbit satellite technology are clear for areas where many communities still lack internet access, allowing users to connect to the internet from remote areas.

Authorities in the Pacific nation say they understand the benefits of Starlink internet.

But five years after its parent company SpaceX began launching satellites into space, it still has not been issued a license by many companies.

Regulators in some Pacific island nations have warned Starlink users that if they try to bring their devices into the country, they will be confiscated at the border.

A long battle

In an email sent to Tongan customers last week, Starlink encouraged them to contact the country’s Ministry of Communications to put pressure on the government.

ABC has learned that Starlink users can still access the internet.

Customers who bring their devices from overseas and use roaming plans say they rely on its service.

“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is not just a luxury, it’s a necessity,” the petition states.

Sam Via, president of the Soup Processors Chamber of Commerce, said many business owners have embraced the Starlink project.

“They brought it in because the service here is better than what you can get in Tonga and it’s more affordable. I think it’s good for everybody,” he said.

Ane Tupou Fifita said Starlink helps her stay connected with family and colleagues in Australia.

“But from a security perspective, if anything were to happen to us back home, I need to be able to have reliable channels to communicate with my family back home,” she said.

Some people pointed out that when Hunga Tonga – Hungahapai Volcano Although the country cut its undersea cables in 2022, the government still uses Starlink’s equipment to stay connected.

Edwin Liava’a, former head of Tonga Cable TV Ltd., believes technology like Starlink could help connect islands to faster internet — especially those that are too small and remote for telecom companies to build mobile phone towers.

“Just from this scene, you can see the role Starlink can play,” he said.

But Liavaa said the Tongan government had delayed issuing a licence because it had interests in two of its own internet companies – wholesale provider Tonga Cable Limited and retail provider Tonga Communications.

“This is all about protecting their own business interests,” he said.

The Tonga government has denied having a conflict of interest in its decisions regarding the Starlink service.

Tonga’s Ministry of Communications acting communications director Stan Ahio said the government would continue to consider the company’s application, weighing requirements such as the use of local dealers and distributors, local banks and taxes, and annual filings.

“(Starlink) reacted very quickly, however (these) decisions are not made lightly and require more time.

“From a department office perspective, we are not denying the benefits that Starlink can bring to the nation.”

A decision on continued licensing will be made soon, Ahio said.

‘This could result in loss of life’

For other Pacific island nations, Starlink also promises to provide internet that is better able to withstand frequent natural disasters.

And this reason for hope can be put into a box.

Small antennas pointed skyward establish internet connections for users, collecting signals from the Starlink constellation of satellites, estimated to number more than 6,000.

Andrew Gray, a teacher on Pentecost Island, VanuatuThe technology could be useful in the aftermath of hurricanes, which often cut off internet access by knocking out cellphone towers, the company said.

when Tropical Cyclone Lola Last October, a typhoon hit Pentecost Island, knocking out towers on the island and knocking out communications across much of the island.

It was the school’s satellite dish that allowed Gray to send photos of the disaster to the outside world.

“The official disaster relief agency in the capital, Port Vila, wants to know where help is most needed,” he said.

“People want to know if there are any truly urgent needs, especially medical needs.”

Gray said Starlink would be easier than using the school’s antennas, which connect to geostationary satellites.

“If you’re not a technician and you have limited power, re-aligning a satellite dish can be a real hassle,” he said.

Glenn Craig, chair of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Committee, said Starlink internet is an “essential requirement” for post-cyclone response.

“We are the country most affected by natural disasters in the world. We deserve to have the best tools at the best prices, and no insurmountable regulatory barriers should be placed in the way of achieving that.

“If we don’t take this step, there is a risk of loss of life.”

After three cyclones hit Vanuatu last year, Vanuatu’s telecommunications regulator temporarily allowed disaster management officials to use Starlink.

But regulator Brian Winji said the company needed to clear one hurdle – a business license from the customs department – before it could receive ongoing approval to operate in Vanuatu.

Prior to this, Vanuatu’s Telecommunications Radio Communications and Broadcasting Regulatory Authority had informed netizens that Starlink devices would be confiscated at the border.

Samoa issued a similar warning earlier this year.

But its telecoms regulator said SpaceX now has provisional permission to provide Starlink equipment to schools and medical centres.

Ioana Chan Mow, an IT researcher in Samoa, said that if full permission is granted, Starlink would enter a country that has already invested heavily in undersea cables, and regulators might consider its impact on those countries.

She said the move would reduce internet costs by creating competition for existing internet providers and would be of great benefit to Pacific nations hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting later this year.

“The question we face now, and I think the same question we face in Tonga and Vanuatu, is how do we strike a balance between complying with local regulations and attracting foreign investment, especially great innovations that can make a difference in the country?” she said.

Papua New Guinea’s regulator is also considering issuing a license for Starlink, and IT expert Samania Ned said its technology should be deployed in a way that benefits all internet users.

“We don’t want to see a monopoly re-emerge in terms of internet service providers in Papua New Guinea,” she said.

Pacific nations don’t have to look far to find out how well received Starlink will be if they decide to approve it.

The company has reportedly obtained a license in Fiji, and an authorized dealer has pre-sold hundreds of Starlink devices, with much of the demand coming from rural areas that have long been accustomed to slower 3G internet.

ABC has reached out to SpaceX for comment.

– ABC News