Real-time 8K video transmission was achieved by establishing a connection between the Showa station in Antarctica and the headquarters of the KDDI research center in Japan. This initiative is expected to increase the operational efficiency of polar expeditions.

Global impact and future applications

KDDI Research emphasized the project’s potential contribution to solving global problems such as climate change. Successful deployment of this high-speed, low-latency video transmission system promises to improve monitoring systems at Showa Station and could be used for observations at both poles, thus reducing the burden on the expedition team.

The researchers aim to thoroughly test the performance of the system using an 8K-capable smartphone and eliminate issues to enable it to be used from anywhere in the world, regardless of connection speed.

Starlink’s powerful infrastructure is expected to further improve surveillance systems in the future.