07 August 2024

Starlink has received a temporary permit to operate in Tonga following the government’s previous outright ban on the service, as residents sought to cope with last month’s subsea cable outage.

The temporary permit – which is valid for six months – allows Starlink to sell services directly to consumers, as well as via a reseller arrangement with existing local operators. The permit also comes with several conditions – Starlink must comply with all tax regulations, provide details of its terminals, and facilitate local payment methods for businesses in Tonga.

The Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change (MEIDECC) said that the permit is a stopgap to address immediate connectivity problems in the outer islands while Starlink’s formal application is being processed.

Telephone and internet services on the islands of Vava’u and Ha’apai have been disrupted since 29 June following an early morning earthquake that damaged the Tonga Domestic Cable Extension (TDCE). Local telcos Tonga Communication Corporation (TCC) and Digicel Tonga activated backup satellite connectivity for both islands, but the capacity is a fraction of what the TDCE provides.

Before the TDCE outage, some Tonga residents with poor or non-existent internet service had been purchasing Starlink subscriptions overseas and using its roaming feature to access the service in Tonga. The government declared in May that importation of Starlink gear is illegal until its licence is approved. When Vava’u and Ha’apai residents resorted to Starlink after 29 June, the MEIDECC ordered the satellite operator on 9 July to disable its services in Tonga.

The Tonga government has been deliberating on Starlink’s licence application since it was submitted in May, with one point of contention being the impact of Starlink on existing network operators.