Digicel mobile communication restored in Pangai [1]
Monday, January 13, 2014 - 13:45. Updated on Monday, January 13, 2014 - 15:33.
Shattered home in Pangai, Lifuka. Photo courtesy Tupou 'Ahome‘e Faupula via Digicel cell phone network in Pangai. 13 January 2014.
Digicel Tonga’s mobile communication network in Pangai, Ha’apai has been restored at 10:0am this morning January 13 since it went down on the afternoon of Saturday January 11 when Tropical Cyclone Ian (Cat 5) hit the Lifuka Island.
in Pangai this morning, Tupou ‘Ahome’e Faupula, HR & Facilities Manager for Digicel Tonga, told Matangi Tonga that their engineers fixed the satellite equipment that was damaged by the cyclone at their tower in the capital Pangai.
“The equipment was sent on a chartered flight from Tongatapu at 6am this morning and our engineers have been working non-stop and restored the mobile communication in Pangai this morning. They are now fixing our tower at the island of Foa which was also damaged. We hope to get the mobile service up and running there before the end of the day,” she said.
Digicel’s mobile communication is estimated to have gone down at around 1:30pm on the afternoon of Saturday, January 11 when Cyclone Ian hit the Ha'apai.
“I have not seen such devastating damages from a cyclone,” said Tupou ‘Ahome‘e who flew into Ha‘apai this morning with the Digicel crew. They tried to reach Lifuka yesterday but the charter was postponed until early this morning.
Shattered home in Koula, Ha‘apai. Photo courtesy Tupou 'Ahome‘e Faupula via Digicel cell phone network in Pangai. 13 January 2014.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Tonga Communication Corporation's (TCC) mobile service is still down. It is understood that TCC has sent engineers to Lifuka on a flight this morning to look at the damages to their communication network in Ha'apai.
Electricity supply is limited with 95% of the Tonga Power Ltd. network reported to be knocked out, there.