Regulator disrupts Starlink services during Tonga's ongoing communications crisis

By Matangi Tonga reporters

Last Tuesday 9 July, Tonga's communications Regulator, MEIDECC, notified Starlink, the global satellite internet network, to cut off all services to its roaming subscribers across Tonga's land and seas.

The Tonga government considers that Starlink's roaming network services linked to personal satellite antennas, to be illegal in Tonga, even when they are on ships and yachts passing through Tongan waters and on isolated islands that have no alternative data or telephone services. 

The government will not allow the use of Starlink in the current ongoing communications crisis in Tonga, because they have not given Starlink's fixed broadband services a license to operate in Tonga.

“Therefore...operating a Starlink terminal is currently illegal,” the government told Starlink users today, in response to safety concerns.

Starlink use started in the Prime Minister's Office in Tonga, during a previous internet blackout in January 2022, when Elon Musk donated 50 Starlink kitsets, after a volcanic eruption and its tsunamis devastated small island communities and cut-off Tonga from the world. It took a long time to restore the cable.

Since then private users have purchased Starlink kitsets overseas and registered them abroad for worldwide roaming and imported them to use in Tonga, usually alongside the local services, where local services are available.

The lightweight kits have been in high demand since the Tonga domestic submarine fiber optic cable was cut, a third time, following an earthquake on 29 June, leaving the outer islands, for all practical purposes, in digital darkness.

Now the regulatory decision to block Starlink has been announced 10 days into this communications crisis.

In the Regulator's office in Nuku'alofa, Stan Ahio, Acting Director and Chief Engineer of the Dept. of Communications, stated: “Due to the fact that the domestic cable to Vava'u and Ha'apai is currently disrupted, we see [a] spike in the illegal operating of these satellite equipment.

“It was a fair regulatory call by the decisions to make [sic], before it’s out of control - the illegal use,” he stated last night, in answer to questions asked by Matangi Tonga late yesterday.

However, other than low-bandwidth limited satellite services that are failing to meet demand in the outer islands, the government had not been able to offer any efficient alternative internet. Businesses and private users are complaining, and those in Ha'apai and Vava'u who rely on satellite services have cited safety concerns when they are cut off from the internet as a result of this directive.

Mr Ahio explained, “Don't get this wrong, but we do hate to see the decision may affect current users especially the tourism industry and local businesses, the economy as a whole.

“While we understand the significance of these terminals to aid the limited connectivity at these islands, we carefully made the decision to put some control on the illegal use.”

Ongoing cable outage

Mr Ahio said the government’s own communications were affected by the ongoing submarine fiber optic cable outage.

“All government services and offices are facing the same trouble the public is facing due to the limitations of satellite backhaul capacity employed by the telecom operators to restore services in the country,” he said, but MEIDECC had its own HF radio.

“However, MEIDECC's offices as a Emergency Operation Centre have been equipped with HF radio equipment to facilitate direct voice comms between Vavau/Ha'apai and Tongatapu.

“Voice services has been restored in mobile and fixed lines in these two islands so the HF radios has been back to backup mode,” he said.

Starllink

Starlink notified its users in Tonga on 10 July that that they had been directed by the Tonga government to disable its internet services to users in the country. “As soon as we receive regulatory approvals to turn on Starlink services in Tonga, we will let you know,” the Starlink Team stated.

Mr Ahio stated that, “We have responded firmly and at the same time kindly to all Starlink users that contacted us regarding the disconnect decision, that a provisional license is under process to keep the service on.”

The plan is that the government wants all Starlink terminal owners in Tonga to pay a $200 VSAT Spectrum License fee.

“Since the Starlink itself have not [been] given a license to operate in the country, Yourself with your Starlink terminal should have to seek permission from the Ministry to operate in the Kingdom,” Mr Ahio stated, in a general letter drafted in response to public complaints.

The email letter said that users will be required to pay a VSAT Spectrum License fee of $200, “and once payment is done, we will inform Starlink to connect you to their system.” It did not state if it was a one-off or an annual fee. [Editor's note: Starlink has not confirmed whether or not they are able to reconnect subscribers if such payments are made to the Tonga government.]

Mr Aho did not state specifically which law users were breaking by subscribing to roaming connections from New Zealand and Australia, using the Starlink low earth orbit network.

Prime Minister

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Hon. Hu'akavameiliku told a media conference yesterday afternoon that a repair vessel for the submarine cable was expected to arrive in Tonga next week to physically examine the damage, and to determine what happened.

“The reality is, we do our best with the information that we have but Mother Nature decides what would happen to these cables.”

“Starlink has been notified that they do not have a license, so all terminals should be disabled,” he said.

“With understanding of the inconvenience, at the same time the law cannot be put aside just because you have slow internet.”

“We are looking at fast tracking actions to get a license for Starlink,” he said. “Whether they want to partner with Digicel or TCC, or just to operate on their own.”

He said MEIDECC and Telecommunications operators would hold a meeting today, Friday, on the matter.

The PM said they had sent Starlink some questions, on whether they planned to have local investments, like having an office with staff.

“We have laws to follow, it’s not about convenience, it’s about looking at the right thing to do given the current market that we have.”

The PM said, “how fast Starlink can get their license very much depends on Starlink itself.”

He said the American company operating Starlink needed to complete the requirements needed by MEIDECC, regarding local investments.

The Tonga Government owns a local communications service provider, Tonga Telecommunications Corporation.

Petition

Meanwhile, a petition to allow access to Starlink in Tonga, that was started on 10 July had gained nearly 1000 signatures by today.

See also:

Vava'u and Ha'apai suffer third cable blackout

Safety fears in outer islands as Tonga blocks Starlink during cable blackout

Call for immediate action to allow access to high-speed, uncapped internet in Tonga

Loss of Starlink will be devastating to business, says cruising rally organiser