An undersea fibre-optic cable which connects Tonga to the rest of the world was severed during the eruption of a volcano.
New Zealand’s ministry of foreign affairs says it could take more than a month to repair the 49,889km (31,000miles) of cable in the South Pacific.
The undersea eruption – followed by a tsunami – led to Tonga’s 110,000 people being cut off.
A 2G wireless connection has been established on the main island, using a satellite dish from the University of the South Pacific. But the service is patchy, and internet services run slowly.
The cable, which is operated by Tonga Cable, is believed to have broken about 37km (23 miles) offshore.
According to Reuters, fault-finding conducted by the company in the aftermath of the volcano seemed to confirm a cable break.
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