(ANSA) – WELLINGTON, 19 JAN – It will take at least a month to repair the submarine communication cable that connects the rest of the world to the Tonga Islands, devastated by an eruption and a tsunami. The New Zealand Foreign Ministry said today.
“US company SubCom says it will take at least four weeks to restore Tonga’s connection,” the ministry said in an update on the disaster that cut off the small Pacific nation from the rest of the globe on Saturday.
The few communications that have been made so far have been possible through some satellite phones, mostly owned by foreign embassies in the capital Nuku’alofa.
According to the company, there are two separate breaks in the cable, one located 37km from the coast and the other near the erupted volcano, making repairs difficult. A repair ship is currently en route from neighboring Papua New Guinea. Mobile operator Digicel has restored some basic 2G home services, but warned that restoring international calls may still take a long time. (HANDLE).
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Source From: Ansa
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