Communications

The information below supplements that given in Chapter Norway, 5. Communications, some of which also applies to Svalbard.

VHF and SSB

During the first part of the passage to Svalbard, you will be within VHF range of the Coastal Radio North relay stations on the mainland and at the Johan Castberg oilfield offshore from Hammerfest. As you approach Bjørnøya, contact is again possible via a relay antenna on the island, and when nearing Hornsund the Polish Polar Station can be reached on VHF, but note that this is not a relay station for Coastal Radio North.

There is a gap in VHF coverage between the Polish Polar Station and Coastal Radio North’s relay antenna at the entrance to Isfjorden. Beyond the range of the Ny-Ålesund antenna, communication is limited to HF and satellite communication. There is no listening watch on MF or HF and Coastal Radio North advises to use DSC VHF.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phone coverage is available across most of Isfjorden, Grønfjorden (Barentsburg), around Ny-Ålesund, and in northern Bjørnøya if you can connect to Telenor towers. Check your mobile plan – roaming charges can be high.

In Ny-Ålesund WiFi and Bluetooth must be switched off to avoid interference with sensitive research equipment.

Satellite Phones

When choosing between a satellite phone and relying only on emergency beacons and VHF, remember that a satellite phone allows rescuers to speak to you directly in an emergency. This is not possible with beacons, and with VHF this only works when rescue units are very close.

Iridium

Iridium is the only widely used satellite phone system that offers full coverage at high latitudes, as its satellites operate in polar orbits.

Starlink

If you walk the streets of Longyearbyen you will notice many Starlink antennas on buildings. We have used Starlink during our Svalbard cruise in 2025 and we always had very good network connection and speed throughout Svalbard.