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| Our history |
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| Ascension Island - 100 years of communications |
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Ascension Island has been described as many things; from a barren rock in the middle of the Atlantic, to the most interesting island in the world.
It is actually the tip of a volcano, 700 miles from the island of St Helena, and about 1000 miles from the coasts of South America and West Africa, reaching from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and rising 3000 feet above the surface.
For a land area of only about 35 square miles it is, indeed, packed with interest and contrasts. From the hot, bleak lava plains near the west coast the landscape gradually changes through about 3000 feet into the lushness and tranquillity of Green Mountain. In between can be found a vast abundance of natural history, from the aggressive land crabs to the patient donkeys.
Among the introduced land-birds are canaries, waxbills, francolins and mynah birds, and every year thousands of seabirds visit to nest on the inhospitable clinker.
Probably the most moving scene is the sight of the huge green turtles dragging themselves inch by inch up the beaches at night to dig a nest and lay their eggs.
However, Ascension is essentially a working island. There is no indigenous population, and everybody living here is brought for a specific job, nearly all of which are connected with telecommunications.
So this is the story of Ascension Island and its long history with communications in the Atlantic - in particular the story of 100 years of Cable & Wireless on the Island.
 100 years of telecommunications
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