Internet at the South Pole

In January 1994, the Internet reached the bottom of the world. We access the Net using two geosynchronous satellites, GOES-2 and LES-9.

Because the orbits of the satellites take them below our horizon for long periods, our link to the Internet functions less than eight hours a day. Even when the satellites are visible, our link to the Net frequently fades out because the satellites never rise more then 5.8° above the horizon.

At the South Pole, we don't have access to television, newspapers, or radio. We have a satellite telephone, but each crew member is limited to only 50 minutes of voice phone time a week. The Internet has become an important part of my daily life. I use the Net to transfer data, read the news and online 'zines (no newsstands down here), access the World Wide Web, and publish a WWW newsletter called the New South Polar Times. Most important, I use the Internet to keep in touch with my wife, a beautiful woman more than 8,000 miles away.