Niuafo'ou, also known as "Tin Can Mail Island" accessed the World Wide Web www, for the first time on Sunday, August 31.

Now its resident population of under 700 people can send and receive Email from a community tele-center in the local telephone provider's premises at 'Esia.

The internet connection was made possible with financial assistance, worth USD$50,000 from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The project was also made possible with the co-operation of the Tonga Government Department of Communications and Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC).

Project Manager, Fe'ao Vakata said the ITU project focused on improving the telecommunications needs of remote and rural communities by setting up community telecenters.

A statement from Tonga's Prime Minister's Office said the centre was opened by Lord Fotofili, one of the nobles of the island.

Tin Can Island

Niuafo'ou one of Tonga's remotest islands became known world-wide as Tin Can Mail Island, because from 1882 to 1946 its only means of communicating with the outside world was through a tin can packed with mail, which was thrown overboard from passing steamers for swimmers from Niuafo'ou to pick up and drag ashore. Mail from Niuafo'ou to the outside world was also delivered in the same manner. The rough seas surrounding the island poses a big difficulty.

According to old historical record the Tin Can Mail practice began to die out around the beginning of the Second World War, one thing for sure was that too many swimmers were attacked by sharks, and more ships of various sizes called on Niuafo'ou.

Although the doughnut shaped volcanic island now has an airstrip, flights to the island are few and far between.

For the people of Niuafo'ou today, surfing the web will definitely be more fun than having to swim out to the deep blue sea to fetch a Tin Can full of mail.