Tonga’s local telephone and internet service providers, Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Digicel, have been facing challenges in providing services to the two outer island groups, Vava’u and Ha’apai, since the inter-island domestic submarine cable went dark on June 29. In order to restore their services, both companies have turned to satellite links as a temporary solution until the cable can be fixed.
TCC CEO Sione Veikoso explained that their Vava’u and Ha’apai telephone and internet services are currently operating on low bandwidth backup satellite capacity. This means that during peak times, the service quality may drop, resulting in lower capacity and quality than normal. However, Veikoso reassured customers that the network operation returns to normal after peak hours.
For mobile network services, both voice and mobile internet have been fully restored by TCC. Additionally, fixed line services, such as landline voice, have also been fully restored. To further support fixed internet customers, TCC is providing satellite VSAT terminals for those who wish to use this option in both Ha’apai and Vava’u.
On the other hand, Digicel CEO Daniel Horan stated that their services have been close to normal capacity since August 2. By adding a satellite service to Vava’u, they were able to restore services at about half of the previous bandwidth capacity. Horan mentioned that customers in Vava’u can now access Digicel’s 4G, 3G, and 2G services. Ha’apai had their services operating sooner due to being a smaller market, while Vava’u required more time and effort to fix.
Horan emphasized that Digicel is committed to running the satellite service until the submarine cable is repaired. He expressed hope that Tonga Cable will be able to fix the cable in the next few weeks. The cable repair ship CS Lodbrog has already departed from Fiji and is expected to arrive in Tonga soon, according to Tonga Cable ACEO Sosafate Kolo.
Despite the challenges faced by TCC and Digicel in providing services to Vava’u and Ha’apai, both companies have managed to restore their services using satellite links. While the temporary solution may not offer the same quality and capacity as the original fibre cable, customers can still access essential telephone and internet services. With the repair ship on its way, there is hope that the domestic submarine fibre optic cable will be fixed in the near future, allowing for a permanent solution to be implemented.