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Pago Pago, American Samoa— Nearly a third of Tonga’s population still has no internet access and may not have it until mid-August.
Repairs to damaged cables on two of Fiji’s outer islands have been delayed due to a breakdown of a dedicated repair vessel in the country.
After the earthquake on June 29, communication services were almost cut off on the popular islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u.
The government has issued Starlink a temporary operating license for six months.
However, the service has not been opened to new customers, and few people other than businesses can afford it, said Stan Ahio, acting communications director.
“Website sales for Starlink have not started yet. It’s still working on activating the Tongan currency so people here can buy the service,” he said.
“Starlink has to be up and running as soon as possible.”
The maintenance ship from Singapore has been stranded in Suva for more than a week undergoing repairs.
The ship stopped to collect supplies when it detected a mechanical problem with its propeller shaft, Ahio said. A fishing net had become entangled in one of its propellers.
He said the ship was expected to arrive in Tongan waters in a little over a week.
There were no internet outages in the capital, Nuku’alofa, and Hosting the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit August 26th.
About 1,000 guests will spend the night at a hotel in Vava’u that already has Starlink.
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