Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku told reporters in Nukualofa that despite the current crisis in internet communication, “Starlink has been notified that they do not have a license, so all terminals should be disabled.”
Since the damage to the domestic cable to Vava’u and Ha’apai from an earthquake on June 29, Government is still awaiting the arrival of “a repair vessel for the submarine cable… to physically examine the damage.”
Businesses in the outer islands that depend on internet communications however, have complained they may be going out of business due to the communications crisis.
A resort owner in Ha’apai, Darren Rice, who is totally reliant on the satellite service told a news reporter, “When Starlink goes off, without the internet we can’t call for help, we don’t know when storms are coming, we don’t know if there is a tsunami warning, we can’t call the hospital or the fire engine.”
Starlink has notified its users in Tonga on July 10 they had been directed by the regulator in Tonga to disable its internet services to users.
“With understanding of the inconvenience, at the same time the law cannot be put aside just because you have slow internet,” the Prime Minister told reporters.
The Prime Minister said. “We are looking at fast tracking actions to get a license to Starlink. Whether they want to partner with Digicel or TCC, or just to operate on their own.”
What is puzzling about this ban is that the use of Starlink started in the Prime Minister’s Office during the previous internet blackout in January 2022 from the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami.
Elon Musk of Starlink donated 50 kit sets to be used in Tonga at the time as it took a long time to restore the cable. The question have been asked as to, “why didn’t government offer Starlink a license then?” Was Government operating Starlink illegally in 2022?
Private users purchased Starlink kit sets and registered them overseas for worldwide roaming and imported them to use in Tonga.
The kits have been in high demand since the domestic submarine fiber optic cable was cut a third time leaving the outer islands in digital darkness.
It should be noted that the local company that owns the fibre optic cable, Tonga Cable, is co-owned by the Government, in shareholding with the two internet providers, TCC (government owned) and Digicel (privately owned).
But the Prime Minister said, “how fast Starlink can get their license very much depends on Starlink itself.” He said the company needed to complete the requirements needed by the regulator regarding local investments.
In the meantime, a petition to allow access to Starlink in Tonga, starting on July 10 has attracted over 1000 signatures.