The underwater cable granting Tonga access to the internet has been repaired 5 weeks after a severe volcanic eruption shut the country away from the rest of the world.
According to BBC News, on the 15th of January , an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami plummeted the pacific nation into dire need of international assistance as 3 people lost their lives and hundreds of homes were in ruins.
The result of these disasters was that the country was removed from global reach due to the underwater internet cable being damaged.
The government made use of satellite services to communicate with the rest of the world even though this only offered limited communication connections.
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Australia and other neighbouring countries brought in aid and supplies to the islands.
The underwater internet cable – about 840km – connecting Tonga to Fiji had been the island’s source of sturdy internet.
On Tuesday, reports from the island’s main telecommunications providers – TCC and Digicel – stated that the internet was finally restored to the major sections of the island.
The work is further reported to be incomplete because local cables linking outskirt sections to the main island were yet to be restored.
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Tongans have reached out through their social media handles to spread the news of being able to communicate with friends and families online.
Prime Minister Sovaleni expressed excitement at the restoration of the internet to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
He stated:
“We had some capacity via satellite but nothing compared to what we’re having right now with the cable being reconnected… It was a major task, given the amount of damage, and we thought it would be fixed a week ago.”
