Tonga, which experienced a devastating tsunami in mid-January, recovered its communications connection with the outside on Tuesday by completing the repair of the submarine cable, which was broken during the natural disaster.
One of the companies responsible for said connection confirmed that the repair work has been completed and the South Pacific island country recovered the internet connection and the line for international calls was restored.
“It’s all done, the cable was delivered to us this morning just before noon, now it’s with the ISPs (Internet Service Providers),” Tonga Cable Limited chairman Samuiela Fonua told Radio New Zealand. .
The island nation, inhabited by some 120,000 people, was devastated on January 15 by the onslaught of waves up to 15 meters high caused by the violent eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcano, whose ash contaminated the aquifers.
The country remained incommunicado for several days, which increased uncertainty after the natural disaster, which ultimately claimed only three lives but affected more than 80% of the population.
At the beginning of February, a ship arrived in the area where the fiber optic cable, which connects with neighboring Fiji, broke with the aim of repairing the connection and whose work has taken about 20 days, said the manager, who on Wednesday will a presentation to the Prime Minister of Tonga, Siaosi Sovaleni.
It is estimated that the expenses derived from the repair will be around one million dollars, Fonua indicated.
The double catastrophe in Tonga, a country free of covid-19 until weeks ago, was followed by the first outbreak with local infections of the pandemic linked to the arrival of humanitarian aid, mostly from Australia and New Zealand.
The Government of Tonga began on Monday to relax the measures, including the confinement of the population, although it maintains the night curfew. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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