For nearly a century, East Makira Constituency has lived without communication towers — leaving villagers isolated from the rest of the world.
That changed on May 17, 2025, when Pihuru village in East Wainoni District, Makira Ulawa Province, was connected to the internet via Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet service.
While a traditional communication tower is still not in place, the installation of Starlink has brought immediate and visible changes to the daily lives of the people in Pihuru and surrounding communities.
Villagers — from businesspeople to elderly men, women, and even children — were amazed as they accessed the internet on their phones for the first time.
They began watching movies, making video calls, browsing Facebook, and using various apps — activities that had once seemed out of reach.
“They couldn’t believe their eyes,” one villager said. “It was like a dream come true.”
The excitement quickly turned into a call for more permanent solutions. Community members are now appealing to the government and their Member of Parliament for East Makira, Hon. Franklyn D. Wasi, to invest in a communication tower for the area.
“A tower will keep us connected,” villagers expressed. “Even if our children, husbands, wives, or relatives are far away, we can still see them and talk with them. It makes us feel like we are still together — like we’re in the same house.”
For a region long left behind in the communication revolution, Starlink is just the beginning.
But for the people of Pihuru, it’s a giant leap toward a more connected future.
By David Hui
Makira Stringer / Reporter
