Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, has been invited to attend the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting, scheduled from 26-30 August, 2024.
The invitation reportedly comes from the Tongan government, acknowledging Musk’s previous assistance to the island nation following the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai eruption and tsunami in February 2022.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink services provided emergency satellite internet terminals to Tonga, aiding in the restoration of communication.
This support has proven vital once again, as Tonga faces an ongoing internet crisis after its underwater cable was damaged by an earthquake on 29 June. The outer islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u have been significantly affected, with limited internet access.
The Tongan government has granted a provisional six-month permit to Starlink to operate in the country while repair efforts are underway. However, these efforts have been delayed due to the breakdown of a special repair vessel en route from Singapore.
Tonga Cable CEO, Semisi Panuve, said earlier this week that the timeline for full internet restoration remains uncertain, depending on the extent of the damage and the availability of replacement cable.
In addition to the internet crisis, Tonga is also working to provide 150 prefabricated container houses in and around Nuku’alofa, expected to be set up by Friday.
Hu’akavameiliku remains optimistic about the country’s recovery efforts as they prepare for the upcoming leaders’ meeting.
