Tonga's Health System Hit By Cyberattack
Talanoa O Tonga reports the Health Minister Dr Ana Akauola saying the system has been shut down, and staff are handling data manually.
Dr Akauola said that hackers encrypted the system and demanded payment, but she has assured MPs "the hackers won't damage the information" on the system.
This system was introduced in 2019 with Asian Development Bank (ADB) support to digitise Tonga's health records before going "live" in 2021.
Police Minister Paula Piukala was critical of past governments for ignoring warnings that Tonga's digital infrastructure is not fully prepared for these threats.
Journalist Sifa Pomana said the hackers are demanding millions of dollars, according to Tonga Police.
Residents are being urged to bring essential records to the hospital to help with manual record-keeping.
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Article – Bill Bennett Australias NBN Co to offer Amazon satellite broadband next year Amazon satellite launch. Australias NBN Co plans to wholesale Amazon satellite broadband from the middle of 2026. The state-owned broadband provider says it will use Project Kuiper … Australia's NBN Co to offer Amazon satellite broadband next year Australia's NBN Co plans to wholesale Amazon satellite broadband from the middle of 2026. The state-owned broadband provider says it will use Project Kuiper satellites to deliver services to regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia. Project Kuiper could be live elsewhere well before that date. A post on the About Amazon website says the company expects its first commercial customers to connect before the end of this year. NBN Co already uses geostationary Sky Muster satellites to service around 75,000 remote users. These satellites are expected to stop working early next decade, so a replacement was needed. 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To date, there have been no official reports of discussions between Amazon and NZ telecoms companies, although Download Weekly understands some talks have taken place. Likewise, there is no information yet about the cost of an Amazon satellite service or the home equipment needed to communicate with the satellites. Fierce competition with Starlink Amazon's deal with NBN Co is significant, but around 300,000 Australians already have satellite broadband accounts with Starlink. Point Topic reports that Australia is SpaceX's fourth largest market. The deal is not exclusive. Amazon will be able to sell directly to Australian customers. Although New Zealand is a smaller market than Australia, a greater proportion of NZ rural people rely on satellite broadband than in any other nation. With most of the low-hanging fruit now picked, Amazon may struggle to dislodge Starlink unless it has something significant to offer in addition to connectivity or if it can compete on price. Although Amazon has home users in its sights, the company has worked to integrate its satellite network with its network of AWS cloud data centres. This gives it an enterprise offering that can also be used by government departments and emergency services. N4L managed network upgrades one-third completed Network for Learning (N4L) says around a third of schools now have next-generation internet infrastructure. The project aims to deliver faster, safer, and more secure digital learning networks. It also means schools can use N4L as a virtual ISP. The upgrade will see schools replace firewalls and switch to a new internet connection. The project is due to complete before the middle of 2026. N4L CEO Larrie Moore says: "All schools, big or small, urban or rural, will be able to have access to enterprise-grade internet and cybersecurity, ensuring high-quality, fit-for-purpose digital services that best support modern teaching and learning. 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Another change is a switch from using internally generated fault reports to customer-generated fault reports for future monitoring of downtime. New Zealand's fibre information disclosure regime applies to Chorus and the three local fibre companies: Northpower, Enable, and Tuatahi. Tū Ātea adds board members George Reedy, Callum Kātene and Sheree Ryan have been appointed to the Tū Ātea board of directors by the Māori Spectrum Working Group. They join Robin Hapi, Haami Piripi, Elle Archer and Mike Jenkins. Reedy was previously the chief executive of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou. Kātene is the founder of Ātea Systems Ltd, a specialist telecoms software development company. Ryan works as a CFO and was the first Māori appointed to the External Reporting Board (XRB). Tū Ātea is the Māori spectrum and telecoms company behind New Zealand's first private 5G network. It also works to build better communications networks in underserved regions. In other news... The National Emergency Management Agency is moving—Interest. What is happening to the E mergency services mobile radio network? — Reseller News. A clever new use for old pay phones — NPR. Cert is gone – Who picks up the phone now? — ITP Techblog End of transmission: New Zealand is a leading space nation Auckland University Physics professor Richard Easther notes New Zealand is number three in the worldwide league table for orbital launches behind the US and China. That's an achievement. Yet, as Easter points out, on the per capita basis that we love to use, New Zealand has more orbital launches than anyone else. We can take this further. Last year's Commerce Commission Telecommunications Monitoring report found New Zealand had 57,000 Starlink accounts. The number will be higher today. That's about one percent of the population. Or 10,000 accounts per million population. In comparison, the US has 2,900 accounts per million. Canada has 500 per million. Australia has around 7,500. Which means we don't only hold the crown for the highest per capita number of rocket launches, we're the highest per capita satellite broadband user. Five years ago: $50 million for shovel-ready networks Infrastructure minister Shane Jones and communications minister Kris Faafoi set aside $50 million for projects to push modern networks further into regional areas. The TCF issued a report showing the success of telecoms networks during the early stages of the pandemic while warning the companies were not making enough of a return on their investments. Meanwhile, the UFB network signed up its millionth account. Are you enjoying the Download Weekly? Feel free to pass this email on to your colleagues. Have your say. If you're a subscriber, you can comment on any newsletter or story on the website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. Reader emails are also welcome. The Download Weekly is supported by Chorus New Zealand. Amazon's Project Kuiper looms closer was first posted at Bill Bennett Freelance journalist. Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers. His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast. Bennett's The Download Weekly here. If you want to support his work, you can make a donation to his PressPatron account.
