World's southernmost base station operating in Antarctica

Norwegian telco company Telenor has celebrated six months since the opening of its commercial base station in Antarctica, in the process setting a new benchmark for connectivity in the harshest of environments. What makes this base station special, aside from being the southernmost in the world, is that it’s operated from the world’s northernmost, based in Svalbard, Norway.

The primary motivation behind the project was to provide essential mobile coverage to the Norwegian Polar Institute’s Antarctic research station, Troll. Troll serves as a hub for scientific exploration and environmental research, making reliable communication crucial for the success of ongoing projects and the safety of researchers working in the region.

“There has been a fruitful dialogue with the Norwegian Polar Institute regarding the possibilities offered by a base station in Antarctica,” said the Head of Telenor Svalbard, Christian Skottun. “Telenor, with its presence in Svalbard, has extensive experience in building and operating mobile networks in Arctic regions.

“Mobile coverage is crucial for both Arctic poles. For research communities, the ability to utilise mobile IoT in gathering data from fieldwork is particularly attractive. Additionally, mobile coverage opens up new possibilities for research and environmental monitoring in the Antarctic oceanic area.”

Since the base station went into operation in February, mobile coverage has been available in the area where the polar research station is located. This provides Troll with a greater connection to the outside world and also provides a new dimension of safety.

“Mobile coverage is a step forward for technological development at Troll,” said the Director of the Polar Institute, Camilla Brekke. “In addition, it provides new opportunities for research and monitoring in Queen Maud Land.”

In addition to close collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute, Telenor Svalbard also collaborates with Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), which is responsible for the communication service from the Troll station. KSAT owns and operates TrollSat, one of the world’s most important ground stations for collecting data from climate and environmental monitoring satellites, co-located with the research station at Troll. KSAT is responsible for transmitting satellite-based information from Troll to users worldwide.

“Full mobile coverage at Troll … helps our users and simplifies communication with the outside world,” said Rolf Skatteboe, CEO of KSAT. “We are therefore pleased that the satellite link from Troll also can be used for mobile phone traffic.”

Birgitte Engebretsen, CEO of Telenor Norway, said she is proud and delighted that Telenor has contributed to establishing mobile connectivity between the poles. She concluded that “the emergence of our new technological solutions opens up new possibilities for research”.