Author: Daniel Victor / Source: New York Times
Torsten Blackwood/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
HONG KONG — The residents of Tonga, a remote island nation 1,100 miles northeast of New Zealand, have gained unwanted perspective on how much they’ve come to depend on the internet.
An underwater fiber-optic cable that connects Tongans to high-speed internet was severed on Jan.
20, plunging the roughly 100,000 residents into digital darkness. Internet connections were lost on the country’s more than 170 islands, international calls wouldn’t go through and credit card payments couldn’t be processed.Eleven days later, officials are still working to repair the damage as trickles of connectivity have returned, including phone service.
Ezinet, a local satellite internet provider with speeds comparable to dial-up, has been able to offer some connectivity, but not enough for all. And with precious little bandwidth available, officials have blocked sites like Facebook and YouTube so that essential services can squeeze through.
Long lines have formed for brief rations of internet access at the headquarters of the Tonga Communications Corporation, the national internet service provider.
Tony Matthias, the owner of a tour company and guesthouse, said he had been waiting in the line twice a day, often for several hours, because responding to potential customers is essential for keeping his business afloat.
“I always respond to messages as soon as I see them — that’s been my policy,” he said by telephone. “I don’t wait. If I get up in…
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