“We are desperate for communications”, say Tongan business people

When Tongatapu’s small business community met on Thursday Jan. 27, to discuss their concerns, amid an unfolding national catastrophe, following volcanic eruptions and devastating tsunamis, they slumped in chairs and their faces showed how seriously concerned, worried, exhausted and frustrated they are. But after all of that, what's really destroying them is the total failure of Tonga's international communications two weeks ago. Tonga's telecommunications authorities have put spectrum licensing roadblocks around the local private sector's ability to find relief in a commercial satellite broadband service solution. By Mary Lyn Fonua.