Oi resumes telecom services in Brazil's nearly destroyed Antarctica station

Brazilian telco Oi has re-established operations in Brazil's science and military base Comandante Ferraz, in Antarctica, which was nearly destroyed by a fire in February last year. At the time, two navy officials died and millions of dollars in equipment was lost. According to the telco, a videoconference this Wednesday (Feb 20) between its executives, Brazil's communications minister Paulo Bernardo in Rio, and navy commander Julio Soares Neto in Antarctica, marked the restoring of services. Oi's newly elected CEO, José Mauro Carneiro da Cunha, who succeeded Francisco Valim on January 23, was also present. The operator says construction of the station's new telecom infrastructure began in December after its agreement with the Navy was renewed. The company had been providing telecommunications services to the base since 2006, before the fire. In December, Oi technicians flew to Antarctica and, in less than a month, built a system especially adapted to support the climactic challenges presented by the continent. The telco will provide integrated voice, data, internet, and mobile solutions, and TV reception. Launched in 1984, the station had, prior to the fire, a total area of 2,600m2 which housed dormitories, labs, offices, a nursery, a library, communications rooms, a gym and a helipad.