015.28 Antartica by Andy Linton Good progress has been made with a 9600 baud satellite connection connecting DSIR Antarctic Division in Christchurch, New Zealand and Scott Base in the Ross Dependency, and it is almost operational. The '.AQ' top-level domain has been registered as a new continent which of course isn't something that can be done every day and a Class C address for 'scott.aq' has been obtained from the NIC. The details of all this have been entered in the DNS and we are awaiting the addition of the necessary routing details so that this link is available globally. It's nice to see the Internet have a positive spin off into local industry - the router boxes used have been designed and produced by the NZ Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). There is currently little activity to connect hosts taking place as the connection was made late in the summer season and most researchers who are currently there haven't really had time to configure an Internet link into their plans. There is a high level of interest in New Zealand and increased usage is expected in the next summer season. This link fits in well with the activities of the International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch and the recent announcement of the availability of online databases of Italian Antarctic research work via Internet and HEPNET links to Italy. Researchers at Scott Base will enjoy access to information in a much more timely fashion than in the past and will be able to dispense with coming back with boxes full of floppy disks at the end of their trips to the ice.