22/06/2026
Tonga National Emergency Telecommunication Cluster (ETC) Successfully Conducts Simulation Exercise 2026.
The Tonga National Emergency Telecommunication Cluster (ETC) has successfully completed a two-day Simulation Exercise and Cluster Meeting on June 17–18, 2026. Organized by the Department of Communications under the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the exercise brought together key national stakeholders to test and strengthen Tonga's emergency telecommunication and disaster response capabilities.
On behalf of the ETC Cluster lead, the Director of Tonga Meteorological Services, Mr. Laitia Fifita, highlighted the importance of this initiative to all cluster members. He emphasized the critical importance of collaboration and the need for an effective early warning system in Tonga, noting that timely and accurate information is essential in minimizing the impact of natural disasters on communities.
As a Pacific island nation highly vulnerable to natural disasters — including cyclones, tsunamis, and volcanic events — Tonga depends on robust and reliable emergency telecommunication systems. The 2026 ETC Simulation Exercise was designed to evaluate the nation's current coordination capacity, identify gaps in response mechanisms, and build stronger linkages among government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international humanitarian partners.
The exercise convened a broad coalition of national and international stakeholders, including:
• Department of Communications, MEIDECC
• World Food Programme (WFP)
• Tonga Red Cross Society
• Tonga Fire & Emergency Services
• His Majesty's Armed Forces - Tonga
• Digicel Tonga Limited
• Tonga Meteorological Services, Government of Tonga
• Tonga National Disaster Risk Management Office - NDRMO
• Other Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and technology partners
The simulation exercise was structured around four core objectives, each aimed at producing concrete, actionable outcomes to strengthen national disaster response:
1. To strength national coordination of government, private sector, NGOs and humanitarian actors throughout the disaster management cycle
2. To document and identify any weaknesses and gaps in the existing coordination and response capacity and use these lessons to further strengthen the overall national disaster response mechanism.
3. To highlight and strengthen the importance of emergency telecommunication systems and services that allow communication between key stakeholders, using different technologies such as satellite, mobile, radio and other low-tech systems.
4. To highlight and acknowledge the roles of other key stakeholders involved in the disaster and emergency management cycle (e.g. telecommunication line ministries, NDRMO, MNOs, ISPs and other technology providers) and map a way forward for intra-cluster collaboration.
The Tonga National ETC extends its sincere gratitude to all participating organizations and individuals whose commitment and expertise made this exercise a success. The collaboration demonstrated here reflects Tonga's collective resolve to protect its communities in times of disaster.
