Digicel Tonga announced on Wednesday it has completed the first phase of its 5G rollout, with its network now covering about 30% of the population in Nuku’alofa.
In the past six months since Digicel Tonga started rolling out its 5G network in December 2024, it has upgraded 15 mobile sites in the capital city, from Kolofoou in the east to Kolomouta in the west and Tofoa.
“Almost one-third of Tonga is now able to access internet speeds in the hundreds of Mbps straight from a 5G compatible mobile device or modem,” said Digicel Tonga CEO Daniel Horan in a statement.
How many customers in Tonga have 5G-compatible devices is an open question, as Digicel Tonga has not revealed how many customers have signed up for 5G so far, nor has its sole rival, Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC), which launched 5G services around the same time as Digicel.
Horan said the telco has been “working hard” to make 5G-compatible devices available to customers, with the cheapest device – a Redmi A4 – going for US$200. The telco is also promoting the Samsung Galaxy A16 (US$380) and the Motorola G54 (US$500).
Digicel Tonga is offering mobile 5G plans ranging from US$5 a day for 3.5GB to US$30 a month for 24GB, while its 5G fixed wireless access service goes for US$70 a month for a 70GB package, as well as an unlimited data service for US$200 a month.
Horan also advised customers that do own 5G-compatible devices from Apple or Samsung may need to update their device’s operating system to use the 5G network.
