Connectivity Providers Database

From: j.houlker@waikato.ac.nz To: sghuter@psg.com CC: Roxanne Streeter <streeter@nsipo.arc.nasa.gov> Date: Tue, 25 Oct 1994 02:10:46 +1300 Steven >I'm doing some work with Randy Bush on a National Science Foundation >project to verify/update information we've received about country >connectivity updates. > >I understand that you're involved with the Scott Base link to Antarctica. > >I'm wondering if you have any updates on that link and/or any others to >Antarctica. I apologize if you're not the right person to contact - please >let me know. Some while ago I was asked to set up an AQ domain so as to allow the creation of scott.aq for the New Zealand research station at Scott Base, Ross Island. For a while the then DSIR (NZ Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) operated a satellite circuit from the NZ Antarctic Programme (based at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch) to Scott base via the NZ Telecom earth station at Arrival Heights (Ross Island). If I recall correctly this was just 9K6. In June 1992 the DSIR was restructured into a number of "Crown Research Institues" and in the process the NZ Antarctic Programme was rehomed under the Ministry of External Relations and Trade [!], and a while later funding for the satellite link came to an end. Various efforts were made by the NZ research community to preserve the connection, but my current understanding is that the link has not been restarted - I'll check and see if I can find the best contact in regard to links to Scott. Meanwhile the US base at McMurdo was linked to The Internet via a satellite circuit to the earth station on Black Island (with a microwave link back to Ross Island) - this is now at least 768kbps and they have done interesting stuff like video and remote control links to an undersea remote vehicle; Roxanne Streeter <streeter@nsipo.arc.nasa.gov> set up the initial project for NASA and I believe she is running another this Summer for the NSF. John