Telecommunications in Antarctica

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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.

Contents

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

Telephone communication

United States bases

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

Internet users: 2,700 (2021)

Facebook users: 1,800 (2021)

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. [2] [3]

The Australian Stations each have a satellite data connection, currently contracted to Speedcast. This provides each station with a 9 Mbps 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. [4]

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 17 Mbps connection; testing of the Starlink service began in September 2022, [5] with a second terminal providing connectivity for the Allan Hills field camp brought in November 2022. [6] [7]

Radio

Official broadcasts

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

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

Notes

  1. "La compañía desplegó la última tecnología en todo el territorio: Entel es pionera en la entrega de conectividad 5G en la Antártica". Archived from the original on 2024-08-19.
  2. "South Pole--News". www.southpolestation.com.
  3. "South Pole TDRSS Relay (SPTR)". Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  4. "Starlink for Scott Base – but no phones during dinner!". Antarctica New Zealand. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  5. Clark, Mitchell (2022-09-15). "Starlink is even in Antarctica now". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  6. Speck, Emilee (2022-12-07). "Researchers studying oldest ice on Earth become first Antarctic field camp to use Starlink internet". FOX Weather. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  7. Neff, Peter (3 December 2022). "Tweet by Peter Neff". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
  8. "AFAN McMurdo (Antarctica)". fmscan.org.

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References