OREANDA-NEWS. MTS was the first Russian mobile operator to establish a cellular base station in Antarctica. A GSM standard communication network has been deployed on the territory of the Russian Antarctic station Progress, the operator said.

MTS launched a base station as part of a joint project with the Russian Antarctic expedition. "A stable signal covers the residential and service modules of the Progress station, the airfield and the gulf where ships moor. Now, expedition members can call their families on the mainland, each other and members of research stations of other countries on the territory of Antarctica by cell phone. In addition, the cellular signal will help determine the location of polar explorers during work in the vicinity of the Progress station, the company said.

MTS said that the new communication facility is capable of operating in conditions of low temperatures and strong winds, and the key nodes and modules of the base station are installed with double redundancy in case of failure of one of the sets. The satellite communication channel for the project was provided by the Russian satellite communications operator Satis-TL-94. The MTS also clarified that while the station is focused on regular work for three years. In addition to MTS subscribers, subscribers of international operators with whom the company has roaming agreements can also use the network.

At the end of 2018, another Russian operator, Tele2, launched international roaming in the Chilean settlement of Villa las Estrella in Antarctica.