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The sudden Internet shutdown that occurred on January 20 resulted in a sudden shutdown of many businesses and a reduction in access to social media – the lifeline of the community to the outside world.
"We had to learn to talk to each other without email," said Joshua Savieti, who works in the creative arts field, about involuntary digital detoxification.
"We did not know anything, what was happening, nothing in the newspapers, (or) there was a hurricane coming."
It took 13 days to find the fault – a sectioned underwater cable – and reconnect Tonga, located some 2,400 kilometers northeast of New Zealand.
During the power outage, a small locally operated satellite service helped maintain a limited service, but the speed was a step back for the switched connection days.
To preserve their ability, officials have filtered social media, cutting off families of their relatives and friends abroad and carrying a blow to businesses that operate via Facebook.
Most of Tonga's 110,000 residents realized how much they now had on the Internet in just half a decade after Fiji's 827 km (513 mile) fiber optic cable was commissioned. .
Some queued for hours to access satellite service, while others partying in their backyard or meeting each other.
"In fact, I felt it was great to be forced to leave the Internet and talk to people again, go out and see what everyone is getting ready," said Savieti.
"There were a lot of people coming out during that time, going to the bars … it was so full."
But the breakdown did not come as a welcome break for everyone.
Lives were at stake as drug stocks reached dangerously low levels and the head of the Ministry of Health, Siale Akauola, lost contact with government outposts on the outer islands of Tonga.
"There are critical areas and most of them need confirmation of supplies and when the goods arrive, so things were in the dark and a dangerously low part of the stock," said Akau & # 39; ola.
"There certainly had to be an impact on various operations."
Closed for business
For Tonga, which relies heavily on international connections for their daily supplies and vital income from tourism, the absence of the Internet posed serious transaction and transaction confirmation problems.
Banks could not process money transfers, hitting families dependent on the income of parents working abroad.
Sam Vea, the Tongan agent for world freight giant DHL, said the first week of the blackout had created "major problems" for the company.
"We can not send our mail because we have to download documents before they are put on the plane," he said.
"We really needed this connection, it was the scariest part, and we did not know how long it would stay."
Many small businesses that use Facebook to advertise their services could no longer make reservations online.
In the capital, Nuku 'alofa, Taiatu' Ata & 'Ata, a guesthouse, felt that she had lost bookings "worth several thousand dollars".
And Lee Latu was trying to run a hotel in Vava "u" without knowing if my bookings were to be taken care of ".
Accountant Caryl Jones said that he was unable to produce monthly tax returns for his many clients.
"I have clients who email me information, so they were unable to do it, and I have clients who have an accountancy in the cloud and who can not access it." their accounting system to do it. "
When the cable – which joins the Southern Cross cable linking Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and the mainland United States – was repaired, new problems arose as people rushed to reconnect with family, friends and customers
At a trial for murder at Nuku's alofa, Judge Charles Cato had to remind jurors why they were there, telling them that the mere fact that the Internet was reinstated did not mean that they were not there. they could use social media during the hearing of evidence.
The cause of the cable break has not been determined, but it is believed that it was cut by a vessel dragging its anchor on the seabed.
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