The National Science Foundation of the United States has just made public its desk research on the feasibility of building a sensor-equipped submarine fiber optic cable system in the Southern Ocean with the stated intention of expanding communications and research-sharing capabilities from McMurdo Station, an important United States research base in Antarctica, to Australia and New Zealand. This initial research highlights the opportunity for collecting subsea data in near-real time, while increasing communications and access between “this distant continent” and the rest of the world. The improved connectivity to and from Antarctica is seen by the Study to be of benefit as the use of technology in United States research and operations in Antarctica increases and also to improve the connectivity for the population of the US McMurdo Antarctic Station which can rise to 1,000 in summer months.
The original Comprehensive Desktop Study was submitted to the National Science Foundation in August 2022 and it represents a key outcome from the workshop held in 2021 to consider the possible benefits of a subsea cable to connect Antarctica. The study looks across the key issues relevant to the business case for the cable. Many of these focus on the geographic and climatic challenges presented by the project as well as the regulations and planning requirements that protect the continent and its surrounding oceans.
The study identifies two possible routes (to Clovelly in Australia or to Invercargill in New Zealand) with landing points for the cable and branching units, possibly Macquarie Island (where Australia’s Antarctic program has a research station) or at the research stations located at Terra Nova Bay.
The study recommends the New Zealand route as it is 2,500 km closer than the Australian option and the route runs through a higher proportion of ‘scientifically interesting’ ocean, with less damage risk from shipping and no existing cable crossings to negotiate (compared to 8 for the Australian option).
Currently, Antarctica is the last continent without a subsea fiber cable. Currently research stations rely on satellite communications although Starlink.is being trialed.
The next steps will include a further workshop and follow up studies to focus on the key issues raised by the Study.
To access the Public Report. please follow this link:
https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/documents/NSF_Public%20Release%20DTS_Final.pdf