A number of communications issues in Tonga are having a serious impact on cruisers. Not only has Starlink been shut down, but the undersea fibre has been damaged and repairs are not expected until at least August. Digicel currently has limited service only.

Published 4 months ago

UPDATE 22 July: Starlink have now been granted a temporary 6-month permit

Original Post 15 July, 2024

Starlink Ceased Operations in Tonga

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Tonga announced that the government has notified Starlink to cease operations in Tonga. This comes during a domestic telecommunication outage affecting the archipelagos of Ha’apai and Vava’u.

Vava’u is a popular destination for cruising sailboats, and it is now the height of the season. Yachts are moving on from French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Samoa, aiming to shelter from the coming cyclone season in Fiji, New Zealand, or Australia. Significant numbers of yachts rely on Starlink service to get weather information vital to voyages, keep in touch with friends and relatives back home, source and ship parts essential for yacht maintenance and repair. Some even rely on Starlink’s anywhere-on-the-ocean connectivity for their livelihood while cruising. All of those needs will be seriously curtailed in Vava’u.

On the main island of Tongatapu, cellular and other connectivity is available, but not Starlink.

Ref: 11 July 2024: Radio Nuku’alofa on FB : Starlink Service in Tonga Suspended by Goverment

Communication Outage on Ha’apai and Vava’u

Tonga is connected to the Southern Cross underwater fiber-optic cable that links Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and the United States. It supplies high-speed internet to all the Island groups, however, has been known to fail over the years (in 2016 due to damage from an anchor drag and in 2022 because of damage from an underwater volcanic eruption).

Once again at the start of July the fibre cable failed causing a communication outage on Ha’apai and Vava’u. The damage was due to a small earthquake in the area of the fibre cable and associated landslide.

Two line breaks were detected approx. 73 km and 96 km from Tongatapu. The total length of the repair has not been determined at this time. A repair vessel has been dispatched from Singapore and should be in Tongan waters at the end of July; however, it has limited cable lengths on board, so if the breaks are long, more time will be needed to source cable lines to make the repairs.

The new cable line off the main line to Vava’u is scheduled to begin in September 2025.

Digicel has restored limited connectivity in Vava’u and Ha’apai using a satellite system. In the next two weeks, they plan to establish a terrestrial link between Vava’u and Tongatapu, which should restore connectivity levels back to normal.

Lack of reliable connectivity effectively shuts down ATMs and banks.

Other Comms Issues

Meanwhile the local volunteer search and rescue group reports that their VHF repeater network is significantly degraded, hampering radio communications between the many resorts and villages in outlying islands.

To top it all off, Fiji Airways has been forced to use a smaller 42-passenger aircraft on its 3-times-weekly route from Nadi to Vava’u. Since the restriction is based on safety equipment at the Vava’u airport, it is likely to continue indefinitely, creating problems with travel plans for many.

All of these factors have a serious impact on cruisers.

Our thanks to Greg Just (OCC Port Officer) and Phillip Perfitt of SY Coastal Drifter, for sharing these details.