How Russian polar explorers got cellular communications in Antarctica

In early 2020, MTS was the first Russian operator to launch cellular communications in Antarctica. To get to the icy continent, the company's specialists were trained for sailors and withstood a tough medical examination, and then were included in the 65th Russian-Antarctic expedition. Next was a plane to Cape Town, from there 10 days on a ship and a helicopter to the Progress station. One of the participants of the expedition, MTS senior engineer Roman Levin, tells how this fascinating journey took place and what equipment was installed in Antarctica.



The project was conceived in April 2019. Then the leadership of the Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic (AARI) in St. Petersburg asked MTS to build a cellular network in Antarctica - before that, there were no Russian operators at the South Pole. First of all, the network was needed for our polar explorers, who come for seasonal work and winter at the station. 

When the question arose of the implementation of the project, it was suggested that my colleague Alexei Verkhovsky and me should take part in it, since we had extensive experience in building base stations. We joined the project in July. While our colleagues from Moscow were engaged in various approvals and legal issues, we were slowly starting to move towards the implementation of technical issues: the selection of tools and equipment. 



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

The most difficult part in this project is the moment of preparation. After all, we had to build the station in Antarctica, that is, in the place where we could not conduct any surveys or measurements in advance, nothing. In our hands was only information provided by the staff of the Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as the Russian Antarctic expedition. It was necessary to calculate everything in advance and take into account all the moments, because during the installation we will already be cut off from the Big Earth. If we forget something, then there will be nowhere to take it from. That is why many employees from different regions in different directions participated in the training. 



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

Under the terms of the Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic, we should have been included in the 65th Russian Antarctic expedition. We had to undergo some minimal training for the crew, since part of the way, from Cape Town to the Progress station, we had to go on the academic expeditionary ship Akademik Treshnikov. The preparation took some time: courses, obtaining a certificate, placement at the Institute, a rather tough medical board. And only after all this we were able to go to Antarctica. 



Photos - Roman Levin

We reached Cape Town by plane and there already joined the expedition. Then on the ship for about 9-10 days we went to the Progress station. In early December, we were already in Antarctica. They waited two days on the ship when they delivered us to the station by helicopter. Then two more days they waited for our container with equipment to be delivered.

From this first stage, a lot of everything was remembered and impressed: ten days in open water, the first icebergs, penguins who walked around the territory in a businesslike way.



Photo - Roman Levin

The Progress station itself is located in an oasis that is not covered in snow. There is a very beautiful rocky terrain. I would love to see these cosmic landscapes again.



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

Near our station is the Chinese polar station, which has a local cellular, but at international roaming prices. You can’t talk a lot. And the employees of the Russian Antarctic expedition are very actively using cellular communications, not only to call home to the mainland, but also for work. For example, it is very important that the airfield is “illuminated” by the communication. This is much more convenient than VHF radio. 

Before the installation of the communication towers at the station, IP-telephony was organized through a satellite channel. Polar explorers could call direct city numbers from the station to St. Petersburg for free. Calls to other cities were paid. And, accordingly, there was and there is Internet at a low speed, you can use WhatsApp'om and other instant messengers. That is, before the advent of cellular communications, there were only two types of communications with the mainland.

Installation

We worked very actively. There was no time. The equipment is standard. The only difference during the installation is that we had to place all the equipment in protected places as much as possible due to the harsh climatic conditions in the winter, that is, low temperatures and very strong storm winds. Therefore, we proceeded from the calculation that only antennas and cables should be at the top, outside. We also excluded all plastic fasteners on the street, as under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and very dry air, plastic and nylon are very quickly destroyed.



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

The station had a container-type equipment. And the existing mast, on which the antennas of VHF radio communications were placed. We installed antennas on this mast. Feeder cables failed. And all the rest of the equipment was installed in a container, which is located under the mast. There is a two-sector base station, radio units. The base station itself is powered by an existing switchboard. The container is insulated, there is also a temperature regime. 



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

On electricity: everything is powered by a diesel power station, there are practically no interruptions, only if there are some technological services. When it happened, they turned it off. At the same time, we were told that the shutdown will be about 5 minutes, that is, it was a previously known fact, this was announced via the speakerphone. But in fact, the shutdown was less than a minute. In this case, we have everything thought out - the station can work on the UPS for several hours without electricity. But here, I think, such force majeure is unlikely to be, since the diesel station itself is also all reserved.

For communication, the GSM standard was used, a range of 900 megahertz. Due to the fact that the satellite channel was limited to 512 Kbps, it was not possible to deploy the Internet. Coverage provides a reliable signal throughout the Progress station in one sector. The second sector, we covered the airfield, which is 5 km from the Progress station on the glacier. 



Photo - Alexey Verkhovsky

Communication quality is very good, right excellent. We got a long transport channel: the controllers are in St. Petersburg, in the MTS branch. Then the channel goes through Moscow to the company SATIS-TL-94, which provides us with a satellite channel to the Progress station. As I have already noted, part of the journey went by satellite, so it was unexpected that the quality would be so good.

Station roaming is enabled if the user has a SIM card of another state. At the time when we installed the tower, there was no roaming agreement between Russian operators, therefore only our maps worked on Antarctica. Tariffs as in St. Petersburg - no difference.



We started work on December 8-9, when our container arrived. And already on December 22 we had a test inclusion. After this moment we did debugging, performed test drives, took measurements. They wrote instructions, prepared spare parts (spare set of equipment) at the station, all in double reserve, and trained responsible employees. I think that for a technical specialist there will be no difficulties, let's say, change some failed unit. Everything is laid down, signed, so that it is clear where to take what.  

If in the future to deploy 3G or LTE technology there, then no additional equipment is needed. All this can be done remotely. An integration engineer can do a reconfiguration - and the LTE or 3G band will work.



Photos - Alexey Verkhovsky

At the end of the work, when there was free time, we talked a lot with the guys, because in addition to the wintering team, experts from research institutes came with us. We walked around the station, took pictures, went to the airfield.

The return trip was also a long one. We flew to the Novolazarevskaya station by local airlines. There, 10 days waiting for the plane to Cape Town. By the way, in Novolazarevskaya, we also conducted all surveys for the subsequent construction of a cellular base station. Now there is nothing there, there is only weak Wi-Fi for instant messengers.

It remains only to add that, in the implementation itself, in the preparation of the project, a huge number of employees from different regions participated. It was very cool, many thanks to everyone! It was a very serious team work. And when we left, we were absolutely calm and sure that everything worked out for us.