Submission to the inquiry into the availability and access to enabling communications infrastructure in 's external territories

Australian Antarctic Division

25 March 2021

Australian Antarctic Division ...... 1 Summary ...... 3 Introduction ...... 3 Current Availability and Access ...... 4 Opportunities for Improving Infrastructure ...... 5 Undersea Fibre Cable to ...... 5 Improved satellite communications ...... 5 A complementary approach ...... 5 Opportunities for Antarctic Science ...... 5 Increased Earth Observations Capability ...... 5 Improved Ice Monitoring Capability ...... 6 Increased Deployment of Sensor networks ...... 6 Remote Operation of Equipment ...... 6 Access to Online Data, High Performance Computing and Cloud Services at Stations ...... 6 Support for Dynamic Experimental Design ...... 6 Opportunities for Antarctic Operations ...... 7 Improved Safety ...... 7 Increased Remote Support Capability ...... 7 Improved coordination between headquarters, stations, and RSV Nuyina ...... 7 Decreased Environmental Impact ...... 7 Increased Quality of Life on Station ...... 7 Economic Opportunities ...... 8 Technology and Infrastructure Opportunities ...... 8

2 Summary

• The Australian Antarctic Territory comprises approximately 5.9 million square kilometres or 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent. The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Territory is located in the southern Indian Ocean, the associated Marine Reserve covers approximately 71,200 square kilometres.

• Australia has deep and enduring national interests in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Improved communications to the Australian Antarctic Territory would support these interests and significantly enhance Australia’s scientific and operational capability in the region.

• An investment in undersea fibre cable and satellite data capability has the potential to address the constraints presently faced by the Australian Antarctic Program in using communications technologies for science and operations. It also has the potential to transform Australia’s Antarctic science program capabilities and ensure that these are future-proofed.

• Strong communications capability is in alignment with the whole-of-Government Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan, and is a necessary precursor to secure the future of and Tasmania as a modern and functional Antarctic Gateway, supporting the needs of expeditioners, and the requirements of modern infrastructure and programs.

Introduction

The Australian Antarctic Division welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the Committee’s inquiry into the availability and access to enabling communications infrastructure in Australia’s external territories. The Australian Antarctic Division is responsible for the administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory and Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and leads, coordinates and delivers the Australian Antarctic Program.

The Australian Antarctic Territory is a sovereign part of Australia. It is administered as such, and is subject to Australia’s legal regime. The Australian Antarctic Territory comprises approximately 5.9 million square kilometres or 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent. Australia acknowledges that the Australian Antarctic Territory is not universally recognised, and supports the 1959 Antarctic Treaty and associated instruments (collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty Ssystem) as the best way of accommodating differing views on Antarctic sovereignty and protecting Australia’s national interests in the region. The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Territory is a sovereign part of Australia and is managed in accordance with the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan. The Marine Reserve covers an area of approximately 71,200 square kilometres.

The Australian Antarctic Division maintains permanent scientific research stations at Casey, Davis and Mawson in the Australian Antarctic Territory, and sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island (part of Tasmania). The Australian Antarctic Division is headquartered in Hobart, Tasmania. The distance from Hobart to the four research stations is 3443, 4838, 5475 and 1542 kilometres respectively. The research stations are supported by shipping and aviation capabilities – primarily a multi-role icebreaking vessel, chartered commercial and Royal Australian Air Force intercontinental aircraft to provide an airbridge to Wilkins Aerodrome ice runway (proximate to ) and smaller fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The Heard Island and McDonald

3 Island Territory is 4398 kilometres from Hobart. There are no permanent scientific research facilities only emergency shelters. Scientific and logistic support activity in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean is largely restricted to the Austral Summer Period between October and March. In addition to activity at the permanent research stations, during the summer research season remote field bases are also established to support coastal and inland activity. Dedicated marine science voyages also occur during this period.

Access to, and delivery of, information is critical to the Australian Antarctic Program and advancing Australia’s national interests in the region.

Enhancing Australia’s communications capability is also aligned with the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan, which identifies the need to “Develop and promote Tasmania as the leading international Antarctic research hub and logistics Gateway for East Antarctica” and highlights “progressing options to modernise infrastructure at Australia’s three research stations”, and “improving access to East Antarctica, for our scientific research and operational needs”.

Hobart is a globally-recognised Antarctic gateway of international diplomacy, operational support and logistics, and science services. The city serves as headquarters for key international Antarctic institutions such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Agreement for the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) Secretariat. Hobart provides a technical services hub for maintenance and supply of specialised equipment, and logistics to several other national Antarctic programs.

Current Availability and Access

Communications between the Australian Antarctic Division’s headquarters in Hobart Tasmania, and Australia’s research stations are currently achieved through satellite infrastructure provided by SpeedCast via 7.3 metre diameter satellite antennas at each of the four stations. The antennas use C-band, providing a bandwidth of 9mbs with an added 300ms delay on all data communications. WAN compression technology via Exinda allows for slightly higher data rates while prioritising voice and medical communications over other network services. Each station has a backup data link via an Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) with a very low bandwidth of up to 0.65Mbps and a delay of about 700ms.

The Australian Antarctic Division makes extensive use of the Iridium satellite constellation with over 70 iridium handsets principally used for voice, but also for some data communications. The Australian Antarctic Division is currently trialling Iridium Certus for use during Antarctic traverses, and as a backup system to replace BGAN. The Australian Antarctic Division also use satellite tracking technology using a Garmin mobile tracker, to allow the tracking of personnel in the field.

4 Opportunities for Improving Infrastructure

Undersea Fibre Cable to Antarctica

Installation of a submarine fibre cable to the Australian Antarctic Territory would provide a stable, high-speed transfer connection to Australian Antarctic stations. The capacity of a fibre cable would be in the order of tens to hundreds of terabits per second, with an individual connection having speeds in the ten to hundred gigabit per second range. Currently, there are no submarine fibre cable connections to the Antarctic continent, and such a connection would provide unprecedented speed and reliability, and would establish Australia as a key leader and international partner in the Antarctic.

There are risks associated with developing a fibre cable connection to the Antarctic continent due to the potential for damage from icebergs. Approaches to shore would need to be carefully considered, as well as mitigation options and impacts if the cable connection were to be interrupted, especially if medical or safety systems evolve to rely on increased communications capability. In situations where an approach to shore would be prevented by icebergs, intracontinental wireless communication would need to be developed. Improved satellite communications

Increased use of satellites is another option for improving communications to Antarctic stations. This could take the form of a dedicated Antarctic dual satellite system in high orbit, or through the use of constellations of small communications satellites. Satellite constellation technology is rapidly evolving, and will require testing to ensure the suitability of the technology for Antarctic operations, particularly in blizzard conditions. The expected speed from this technology would also be in the order of tens to hundreds of megabits per second. This speed is considerably less than that which would be offered by a submarine cable connection, and transfer costs have typically been high relative to fibre connections, however this technology does have the advantage of being available regardless of proximity to stations or wireless infrastructure.

A complementary approach

It is important to note that the use of one technology (satellite or fibre cable) does not preclude the use of the other. Both will have potential advantages and disadvantages, and the two technologies would complement one another. A fibre-optic connection would facilitate large data transfers from the continent, whereas satellite data connections would not rely on station infrastructure, and could potentially be used across the continent in most open locations. There will be a need to consider the relative speed, risks to equipment and infrastructure, reliability of the data connection, costs, data security, and environmental impact of adopting and installing new communications infrastructure. Opportunities for Antarctic Science

Increased Earth Observations Capability

Although there are existing satellite ground stations in Antarctica, the capability to receive satellite data for land observations is limited. Increasing communications capacity at Australia’s

5 Antarctic research stations, in conjunction with the installation of a satellite receiving ground station would improve products and services derived from observations collected over Antarctica and Australia as a result of increased data collection capability. This would reduce the time between data collection and availability (assisting with emergency management applications, such as flood and fire mapping), and would give Australia greater influence with respect to scheduling satellites over Antarctica. Improved Ice Monitoring Capability

The Australian Antarctic Division has scientific programs in place for monitoring glaciers and sea ice. Potential data sources include satellite imagery, drone imagery, underwater vehicles, drifting ice buoys, and fixed sensors as part of remote ice observatories. Real time data streams of ice condition and form would contribute to a better understanding of weather and climate, in turn leading to better modelling and forecasting. Increased Deployment of Sensor networks

With increased communications capacity new opportunities would be created for increased deployment of sensor networks. Image feeds from cameras or data from arrays of sensors, linked as part of a dense network, could contribute to the development of real-time, high- resolution maps of physical processes and biological communities. Remote Operation of Equipment

Better data connectivity would also support more extensive use of remotely-operated equipment. Aerial drones, surface vehicles (marine and terrestrial), and underwater vehicles, as well as containerised lab equipment, could be operated from Australia, with data being transmitted back in real-time. This would allow for more interactive and targeted investigation of the Antarctic environment, with parallels to how rovers are being used to explore Mars. Access to Online Data, High Performance Computing and Cloud Services at Stations

While there is value to being able to retrieve information from the Antarctic for use within Australia, there are also great opportunities that would arise from having fast access to global data resources from within Antarctica. Scientists and technicians on station would benefit from access to global, up-to-date data collections, in addition to high-performance computing capability and cloud services. The amount of IT equipment required to support stations could be reduced, meaning less power consumption, less obsolete equipment needing to be returned to Australia, and access to the most current hardware and services. Support for Dynamic Experimental Design

Real-time access to large data collections and high-performance computing would also support dynamic planning – leveraging high-performance computing capability to use large collections of near real-time data to combine forecasting with survey design to maximise the efficiency of field operations. This would help increase data collections, reduce fuel and power usage, and allow staff to make the most of sampling opportunities in variable conditions.

6 Opportunities for Antarctic Operations

Improved Safety

The ability to track personnel and equipment in real-time would have a significant impact on safety. Not only could movements be visualised as part of a dashboard environment, but monitoring and warning systems could be developed to advise expeditioners and vehicle operators in real-time of potential environmental hazards and changing ground conditions. Relevant examples include sea ice monitoring and forecasting, or alerting expeditioners of fissures or steep changes in elevation in real-time. Increased Remote Support Capability

Increased bandwidth would open up new possibilities for remote support, including leveraging augmented reality technologies (e.g. Google Glass), providing increased training options for staff, and supporting increased telemedicine capabilities. This would also present opportunities to call in experts at short notice who would be able to provide expert advice when required. A stable and reliable connection could also potentially assist with ship-to-shore crane operations, allowing for work related to discharging and loading cargo from a vessel to be managed from a centralised remote location, potentially reducing the time at dockside. Improved coordination between headquarters, stations, and RSV Nuyina

Improved communications capability will support greater responsiveness when conducting operations, allowing for better communication of conditions (e.g. camera feeds, virtual reality), full access to up-to-date policies and procedures, and the ability to share environmental conditions and context to support effective decision-making. With RSV Nuyina as a mobile scientific platform, it will be important to have communications capability that supports mobile operations, but with sufficient bandwidth to meet a broad range of information needs. Decreased Environmental Impact

Increased automation of tasks and improved remote support capabilities will reduce the pressure to have personnel on station. While there will always be a need for expeditioners in Antarctica, the number of personnel could be stabilised, meaning less fuel requirements, less cargo and shipping, and less waste on station and returned to Australia. Ongoing monitoring of assets would translate into more effective scheduling and resource use as well. Improved communications would also result in a decreased need for server equipment on station, reducing power consumption and the need to return hardware components to Australia. Increased Quality of Life on Station

Although isolation is an expected part of the Antarctic experience, many expeditioners would welcome the opportunity to videoconference with friends and family, and to stay connected with news and events taking place back home and around the world. Similarly, expeditioners would be able to more broadly communicate their jobs and daily life, leading to a broader public understanding of Australia’s role in the Antarctic. Better communications would also allow for better access to an expanded range of support services on a round-the-clock basis.

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Economic Opportunities

There will be a need to develop and deploy new remote field technologies capable of leveraging new communications capabilities to the Australian Antarctic Territory. This will require engineering capability, with research into materials and design capable of withstanding Antarctic weather conditions, and robust design and construction to ensure that the equipment will continue operating for extended periods without requiring service.

Improved data capabilities would also provide an opportunity for developing an Antarctic ‘space park’ (co-location of multiple satellite ground stations). This investment would present an opportunity to attract researchers and nations to engage with Australia and its unique capabilities, and would provide an opportunity for partner nations to co-invest in Australia’s stations.

The installation of large-scale communications infrastructure would also create job opportunities, for example, the construction and installation of data centres, serving as the foundation of a local hub of technology and technological expertise; Hobart would become the world’s gateway to the Antarctic both physically and digitally. This would also have the potential to link into the Hobart City Deal, and the plan to develop an Antarctic precinct, co-locating the activities of the University of Tasmania, CSIRO, and the Australian Antarctic Division.

Technology and Infrastructure Opportunities

Modernisation of Australia’s Antarctic communications infrastructure and systems is critical to the efficient and effective delivery of the Australian Antarctic Program and to Australia’s presence in Antarctica. It would deliver fast and large scale data transfer, helping bolster Australia’s position as a leading Antarctic nation and advance its national interests in the region. Specific areas to improve Antarctic communications include:

1. Undersea fibre cable to Antarctica:

a. Undertaking an engineering study to determine the feasibility of connecting one or more of our Antarctic stations via submarine fibre cable.

b. The construction of an Antarctic satellite ground station to position Australia as a leader in Antarctic geospatial capability, and a partner of choice when undertaking data-intensive science.

2. Improved satellite communications:

a. Investigating the use of a dual satellite system for the stations to provide redundancy and the opportunity to use the new low earth orbit satellite constellations for even greater bandwidth.

Investigating the potential for burst data transfer via satellite constellations for data transfer.

3. Upgrading existing communications infrastructure

8 a. Increasing bandwidth at Antarctic stations. b. Refurbishing the existing 7.3 diameter antennas at the stations. c. Investing in improved personal trackers in concert with improved communications capability to improve safety of expeditioners.

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