Telecommunications in Antarctica

Telecommunications in Antarctica is provided by the organizations that have established research stations on the continent. Antarctica is not formally designated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in any of the world zones.

Communication infrastructure is provided through service providers in each country that administers each base.

Telephone communication

United States bases

  • Telephones – main lines in use: 0 (note: information for US bases only, 2001)
  • Telephones – mobile cellular: Argentine bases have GSM networks provided by Argentinean carriers Claro and Movistar; Iridium system in use
  • Telephone system
    • general assessment: local systems at some research stations
    • domestic: N/A
    • international: via satellite from some research stations

Australian and New Zealand stations

Five locations (Casey Station (AU), Davis Station (AU), Macquarie Island Station (AU), Mawson Station (AU) and Scott Base (NZ)) all have telephone connections that enable direct dialling to and from the outside world. Connections to the Australian stations is via the country calling code +672.

Argentinian and Chilean bases within their claims, which have families living at them, are also connected by direct dial connections.

Connection to Scott Base and the nearby United States base McMurdo Station is via the New Zealand country calling code +64 (see Telecommunications in New Zealand).

Television

Television broadcast stations
  • American Forces Antarctic Network at McMurdo Station, US; cable system with six channels (note: information for US bases only, 2002)
Television channels
  • several hundred at McMurdo Station, US (note: information for US bases only, 2001)

Internet

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Argentine bases have WiFi provided by Argentinean internet provider Speedy (now called Movistar), a fiber cable[clarification needed] on polar plateau which was installed in 2009.[citation needed]

Country code (Top level domain): .aq

Data access to the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is provided by access via NASA's TDRS-F1, GOES & Iridium satellite constellation. Marisat F-2 provided data communications until it was retired in 2008. For the 2007-2008 season, the TDRS relay (named South Pole TDRSS Relay or SPTR) was upgraded to support a data return rate of 50 Mbit/s, which comprises over 90% of the South Pole's data capability, which is used primarily for scientific data return.

The Australian Stations each have a satellite data connection, currently contracted to Speedcast. This provides each station with a 9Mbps symmetric connection.

Data and telephony access to Scott Base - New Zealand is provided via C-Band by Spark NZ & Horizons 3E. As of April 2023, Starlink services were also being trialed at the base.

Regarding Argentine bases in general, Marambio Base has wireless internet and two mobile phone servers.

Orbcomm satellites which pass over Antarctica can relay short messages to and from transceiver units to email or XML over HTTP.

The McMurdo station has permanent access to a shared 17Mbps connection; testing of the Starlink service began in September 2022, with a second terminal providing connectivity for the Allan Hills field camp brought in November 2022.

Radio

Official broadcasts

  • Argentina Bases: Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, Esperanza Base, on 15.476 MHz with 2 kW and 97.6 MHz. QSL cards verified.
  • Chile Bases: Radio Soberania, Villa las Estrellas on 90.5 MHz with 100 W.
  • United States Bases: American Forces Antarctic Network AFAN McMurdo, on 93.9 MHz with 30 W and 104.5 MHz with 50 W.
  • Scott Base - New Zealand: Scott97FM, On 97.0 MHz with 25 W

Amateur radio

Several bases used their transceivers also to provide amateur radio worldwide communications on HF or amateur radio satellites with specific club callsigns, also useful on utility and emergency communications.

List of research facilities and country codes

Base Country Code Country Note
Almirante Brown Antarctic Base 54  Argentina
Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station 1  United States
Artigas Base 598  Uruguay
Asuka Station 81  Japan
Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva and Villa Las Estrellas 56  Chile
Belgrano II 54  Argentina
Bellingshausen Station 7  Russia
Bernardo O'Higgins Station 56  Chile
Byrd Station 1  United States
Captain Arturo Prat Base 56  Chile
Casey Station 672  Australia can be direct dialed
Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base 55  Brazil
Concordia Station 39
33
 Italy
 France
Davis Station 672  Australia can be direct dialed
Dome Fuji Station 81  Japan
Dumont d'Urville Station 33  France
Esperanza Base 54  Argentina
Gabriel de Castilla Spanish Antarctic Station 34  Spain
Georg-von-Neumayer-Station (Replaced by Neumayer Station) 49  Germany
Gonzalez Videla Station 56  Chile
Great Wall Station 86  China
Halley Research Station 44  United Kingdom
Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station 48  Poland
Jang Bogo Station 82  South Korea
Jinnah Antarctic Station 92  Pakistan
Juan Carlos I Base 34  Spain
Jubany 54  Argentina
King Sejong Station 82  South Korea
Kohnen-Station 49  Germany
Kunlun Station 852  China
Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station 40  Romania
Leningradskaya Station 7  Russia
Machu Picchu Research Station 51  Peru
Macquarie Island Station 672  Australia can be direct dialed
Maitri Station 91  India
Marambio Base 54  Argentina
Mario Zucchelli Station 39  Italy
Mawson Station 672  Australia can be direct dialed
McMurdo Station 1  United States can be reached by 64 code to Scott Base (NZ)
Mendel Polar Station 420  Czech Republic
Mirny Station 7  Russia
Mizuho Station 81  Japan
Molodyozhnaya Station 7
375
 Russia
 Belarus
Neumayer Station 49  Germany
Novolazarevskaya Station 7  Russia
Orcadas Base 54  Argentina
Palmer Station 1  United States
Princess Elisabeth Base 32  Belgium
Professor Julio Escudero Base 56  Chile
Progress Station 7  Russia
Rothera Research Station 44  United Kingdom
Russkaya Station 7  Russia
San Martín Base 54  Argentina
SANAE IV (South African National Antarctic Expeditions) 27  South Africa
Signy Research Station 44  United Kingdom
St. Kliment Ohridski Base 359  Bulgaria
Scott Base 64  New Zealand can be reached via 64 2409 and four digits on McMurdo exchange
Showa Station 81  Japan
Svea 46  Sweden
Tor Station 47  Norway
Troll Station 47  Norway
Wasa Research Station 46  Sweden
Vostok Station 7  Russia
Vernadsky Research Base 380  Ukraine
Zhongshan Station 86  China

This page was last updated at 2024-02-07 12:31 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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