Tonga is still struggling to get back online after the January 15 volcanic eruption and SpaceX can provide some help. Follow arrive The Wall Street JournalFiji Communications Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum understands that SpaceX is looking to reconnect Tonga using Starlink satellite broadband service. The company has a team in Fiji that is building a terminal that will act as an internet bridge, the official said.
We have asked SpaceX for comment. It’s not clear what kind of service Tongans can expect, but connecting in Fiji or Tonga would be something new for the company. The Starlink public beta is only available in 25 countries as of the time of this writing, and the closest neighbors with the service live are Australia and New Zealand. There are about 1,800 satellites in use, but more are in the works as SpaceX looks to fill the coverage area.
A reconnection attempt like this can be more complicated than imagined. Tonga authorized Kacific to provide satellite internet services to the country at the end of January, ending a long-running dispute. Not sure how this will affect SpaceX’s plans, but it will clearly increase competition. At the same time, the Pacific nation still doesn’t have access to the underground cable that normally provides internet service and is expected to regain that access in weeks. It may not have much choice but to invite more help if it wants to recover quickly, and SpaceX’s involvement could provide Tonga with a useful backup for any future disruptions.
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