# 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. Chile has 5G network provide by Entel company.
* 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 on polar plateau which was installed in 2009.
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.
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.
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

### 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 | |