For several days Tonga has been at the center of the scene due to the shocking volcanic eruption and the repercussions that the event has had in different parts of the world. And to the serious humanitarian problems caused by this natural catastrophe is added the cut in communications that affects the island; to the point that it could be a month before the territory recovers the internet connection. For this reason, Elon Musk is considering using Starlink to restore connectivity in place.
The SpaceX CEO took to Twitter to launch a query on the subject. “Could the people of Tonga tell us if it is important for SpaceX to send Starlink terminals?” the businessman published in response to a Reuters article how long it could take for internet access to return after the volcano exploded.
It is not yet known if Elon Musk will actually collaborate through Starlink to restore connectivity in Tonga, although he has already made it clear that it would not be an easy thing to do . When another user responded by citing a letter published by Dr. Shane Reti, a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, who asked for the same possibility, the also CEO of Tesla spoke of the difficulty of the task.
“This is a difficult thing for us to do at the moment, as we do not have enough satellites with laser links, and there are already geosatellites serving the Tonga region. That is why I am asking for a clear confirmation,” the businessman said.
Starlink could be the answer to the lack of connectivity in Tonga
Starlink satellite dish As it became known in the last few hours, the volcanic explosion of January 15th broke the submarine telecommunications cable that connects Tonga with the rest of the world. A ship is expected to leave Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, this weekend to begin repair work.
However, logistical complications are added to the difficulty of the work. The ship will take nine days to reach Samoa and only from there will it depart for Tonga to begin inspecting the rupture caused by the eruption of the volcano. Needless to say, no one knows for sure what the extent of the damage is. For this reason, the forecasts for the restoration of Internet access are not very encouraging in terms of the time needed to achieve it. That is where Starlink could be of great help, if Elon Musk sees fit.
Let us remember that the constellation belonging to SpaceX has around 1700 satellites in orbit, but Elon Musk's intention is to bring that number above 40 thousand. Starlink, which at the beginning of this year confirmed its official arrival in Spain, is available in 20 countries and has important expansion plans, including offering web access on commercial flights. We'll see if the technical conditions are right for it to also become a key tool for Tonga to slowly return to normality, after one of the most shocking natural disasters in recent times.
