Huge mobile phone expansion for Tonga [1]
Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 16:30. Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 15:31.
When Tonfon increases the capacity of its Global System for Mobile Communication from 5,000 to 50,000 subscribers before the end of this year, it will have the capacity to provide a mobile phone for one in every two people in Tonga.
The Technical Manager for Tonfon, John Kornele, said that Tonfon decided to upgrade its mobile phone capacity, when it discovered after it launched its service in 2002 that the popularity of mobile phone was bigger than they had expected. "Normally there will be only one fixed line telephone per household, but with mobile phones if there are nine adults living in one household, each would like to have his or her own mobile phone."
John said that it was inevitable that they had to upgrade their service, to improve capacity and coverage. "The tall coconut trees in some areas disrupted the signals, and there are certain directions where we do not receive any signals at all."
On August 23 this year the Chairman of Tonfon, Crown Prince Tupouto'a, and Liu Guo Yong of the Huawei Technologies of China signed a multi-million dollar contract for Huawei to upgrade the Tonfon GSM service.
Staff of Huawei and equipment started arriving in Tonga in November, and John said that despite a few minor hiccups, installation was going according to plan, and the target date for completion was December 31.
John said that the changing over from the old system to the new system is going to be the tricky part, "because they are completely replacing the old system with the new one. The old system will be shipped out and installed in the outer islands of Ha'apai and Vava'u."
John said that the new and more powerful GSM will have the capacity to provide services such as fax, data, PABX, broadcasting short message, voice mailbox and other things. For a home or an office to access the fax or a fixed phone service, a board will be installed where a fax or a phone can be connected.
John said that it is important to note that the three different services which are offered by Tonfon, the television, wireless internet and telephone services, "are operating separately from each other.
"We don't recommend for subscribers to use the telephone line to access the internet. You can, but it will be very slow," he said.
To increase Tonfon mobile phone coverage, John said that five new sites will be established. "There will be a new site at the Small Industries Centre, one at the Ministry of Works, one at Liahona, one at Afa, and the existing site at Vaini will be upgraded." The other five existing sites of Tonfon are at Fua'amotu, Mu'a, at Queen Salote wharf, the Pacific Royale Hotel and Kolovai.