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.
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).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Argentine bases have on polar plateau which was installed in 2009.
Country code (Top level domain)
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., 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]
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.
| Base | Country Code | Country | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 598 | |||
| 81 | |||
| 56 | |||
| 54 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 56 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 56 | |||
| 672 | can be direct dialed | ||
| 55 | |||
| 39 33 | |||
| 672 | can be direct dialed | ||
| 81 | |||
| 33 | |||
| 54 | |||
| 34 | |||
| Georg von Neumayer Station (Replaced by Neumayer Station) | 49 | ||
| 56 | |||
| 86 | |||
| 44 | |||
| 48 | |||
| 82 | |||
| 92 | |||
| 34 | |||
| 54 | |||
| 82 | |||
| 49 | |||
| 852 | |||
| 40 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 51 | |||
| 672 | can be direct dialed | ||
| 91 | |||
| 54 | |||
| 39 | |||
| 672 | can be direct dialed | ||
| 1 | can be reached by 64 code to Scott Base (NZ) | ||
| 420 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 81 | |||
| 7 375 | |||
| 49 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 54 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 32 | |||
| 56 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 44 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 54 | |||
| SANAE IV (South African National Antarctic Expeditions) | 27 | ||
| 44 | |||
| 359 | |||
| 64 | can be reached via 64 2409 and four digits on McMurdo exchange | ||
| 81 | |||
| 46 | |||
| 47 | |||
| 47 | |||
| 46 | |||
| 7 | |||
| 380 | |||
| 86 | |||