By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin Editor, and is republished with permission
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Testa chief executive, has been invited to attend the Pacific region’s premier political leaders gathering later this month.
Photo: Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto via AFP
RNZ Pacific understands that Musk, who also owns the social media platform X, has been invited by the Tongan government to the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting from 26-30 August.
We have contacted the Tongan Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, for comment.
Following the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Haapai eruption and tsunami in February 2022, Musk came to the aid of the island nation, donating internet terminals through the SpaceX and Starlink Emergency Satellite Service.
The Kingdom is currently in the midst of an internet crisis after its underwater cable was damaged following an earthquake on 29 June.
The outer islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u have had little internet as a result.
The government has granted a provisional temporary permit to Musk’s Starlink to operate for a six-month period.
Prefab houses made from containers are under construction at Vaha’akolo Road, Kolofo’ou, near the National Retirement Benefits Fund building. Photo: MOI / Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Restoration work on damaged undersea cables in the two outlying islands were delayed after a special repair vessel broke down while it was on its way from Singapore.
Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, told RNZ Pacific earlier this month the timeframe for full internet restoration depends on the scale of damage to the undersea cables.
“We have a limited length of cable for repair so we will have a better idea when the ship is here,” he said.
The vessel was stuck in Suva until last week, and Hu’akavameiliku said: “If it is more than the cable that we have available, then it will take longer. But if it is within the length of the cable that we have, then we can fix it”.
Meanwhile, Matangi Tonga has reported that Hu’akavameiliku is confident 140 prefabricated container houses will be propped up in and around Nuku’alofa by Friday.
