The Australian, Australia - Jan 18, 2005 - The reported loss of a communications satellite owned by a Bermuda-based company has left 10 South Pacific nations and territories and part of Antarctica without telephone contact with the outside world.

The loss left the Pacific Island nations of Cook Islands, Western Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Vanuatu, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Tonga and the US territory of American Samoa without communications links to other states, Telecom NZ said yesterday.

Other countries, including New Caledonia, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, East Timor, Vietnam, Korea and Saipan were also affected but could plug into back-up systems.