Telecommunications in Antarctica
Telecommunications in Antarctica are provided by the countries and organizations that have established research stations on the continent, and commercial satellite and mobile phone providers. There are no undersea cables connecting the continent to the outside world, so all intercontinental communication is accomplished by terrestrial or satellite radio, or physical delivery.
Antarctica is included by the International Telecommunication Union in any of its internal administrative zones.
Telephone communication
A small number of stations are connected to the public switched telephone network by radio link. Other locations use satellite phones or voice over IP for intercontinental calls. Some bases have local telephone exchanges.United States bases
- Telephones – mobile cellular: Argentine bases have GSM networks provided by Argentinean carriers Claro and Movistar; Iridium system in use. Chile has 5G network provide by Entel company.
Australian and New Zealand stations
Five locations, Davis Station, Macquarie Island Station, Mawson Station and Scott Base ) 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.
Television
;Television broadcast stations;Television channels
Internet
Internet Service Providers : Argentine bases have on polar plateau which was installed in 2009.Country code (Top level domain): .aq
Internet users: 2,700
Facebook users: 1,800
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 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 9 Mbps symmetric connection.
Data and telephony access to Scott Base - New Zealand is provided via C-Band by Spark NZ & Horizons 3E., 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 17 Mbps 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. As of January 2025, Starlink was working for the cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II, as far South as McMurdo station.
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