TIM to deploy 5G network at Brazil’s Antarctic research base using Nokia gear and satellite
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TIM will roll out a 5G network at Brazil’s Estacao Comandante Ferraz in Antarctica, using Nokia radio equipment and satellite backhaul supplied through a combination of Starlink’s LEO constellation and Hispasat’s GEO satellites.
The research base houses experts in the fields of oceanography, glaciology and meteorology.
TIM formalised the project in an agreement signed with Brazil’s Ministry of Communications and the Navy on 26 November, reported BNAmericas.
The deployment builds on TIM’s existing presence at the base, where it lit a 4G network in 2022 after taking over connectivity responsibilities from Oi, whose mobile unit was jointly acquired by TIM, Vivo and Claro.
According to TIM CTO Marco Di Costanzo, the network will initially rely on a single Nokia radio base station with a range of up to 10km - sufficient to cover the rebuilt research complex, which reopened in 2020 following a fire that destroyed the original station in 2012.
There are no fibre routes to Antarctica, so TIM will use a hybrid satellite backhaul design. Starlink will provide low-latency LEO connectivity for the first time at the site, while Hispasat will add GEO capacity, with traffic routed through TIM’s terrestrial gateways in Rio de Janeiro. As a result, the station’s 5G service will use Rio’s 21 area code.
TIM is also in discussions with other LEO providers, including Amazon, though not specifically for the Antarctic deployment.
The operator expects to activate the 5G signal in February 2026. Investment figures were not disclosed.
