The remote island of Niuatoputapu in northern Tonga accessed the World Wide Web for the first time on Wednesday August 13.

The connection was part of a Regional Internet Connectivity System RICS, sponsored by the South Pacific Community.

A statement from the Tonga government Department of Communication said that Tonga is one of 12 Pacific Island countries, which are beneficiaries from RICS.

Communication and transportation between the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa and the two most northern islands of Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou has been very poor during the past few years. Sometimes a supply ship would call into the Niuas once every two or three months, and though there is a telephone service but sometimes it is very hard to connect.

To establish RICS on Niuatoputapu, according to the project manager and communications engineer of the Department of Communication, Fe'ao Vakata, getting to Niuatoputapu was the most difficult part, and they had to catch a ride on a Tongan navy patrol boat that was going to the Niua's as part of King George Tupou V's outer islands coronation tour.

High School

The RICS was installed at Niuatoputapu High School where it will be used for education, telemedicine and other applications. After school hours it will be available for use by the community.

The project was commissioned by Hon. Sione Ikamafana Tuita on Wednesday 13 August 2008 and attended by staff, pupils, government officials and the local community.

Fe'ao said the Niuatoputapu community was overjoyed with the connection because it meant that they could communicate better with their relatives and the outside world.

Alfred Soakai from the Deparetment of Communication said the Department was looking forward to establishing more RICS sites in the Ha'apai Group. A Niuafo'ou RICS site is expected to be completed soon.