Thais Leitao
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - On Friday (March 17) Brazil's Antartic research base (Estação Antártica Comandante Ferraz) got connected to the rest of Brazil and the world with a new telecommunications link. The service, provided by a privately-owned Brazilian firm, Telemar, includes broadband internet connections, data transfer, voice transmission and a satellite TV hookup.

The Comandante Ferraz base began operating in 1984 and does research on environmental and climatic changes that have global impact.

Minister of Communications, Helio Costa, said he was pleased the link was provided by a Brazilian firm enabling "data transmission which is secret to remain under Brazilian government control."

"The communications link will improve the quality of life and work at the base. It means things that took months to resolve will be taken care of immediately," explained admiral Jose Eduardo Borges, of the Interministerial Sea Resources Commission which is run by the Navy which has operational coordination of the Antartic base.

Translation: Allen Bennett