9th April 2015
Sir Ranulph Fiennes spoke live on BBC Breakfast this morning during a break from the gruelling double marathon, which demands him running 91km within a 36 hour period.
Speaking live from the desert, Sir Ranulph said: “Last night was pretty horrific. It’s hell on Earth. You’re trying to go up hills and your feet are slipping backwards in the sand. I had some really shaky moments. My head torch faded and I couldn’t see the hills.”
In order for Sir Ranulph’s story to be shared with the world, Satcom Global has supported Marie Curie and production company Fieldcraft Studios with a satellite communications solution enabling live video broadcast.
Fieldcraft were tasked with following, capturing and sharing Sir Ranulph’s story with the rest of the world from the remote desert landscape of the Sahara. With no access to telephone and internet through the terrestrial networks that we’re so used to, satellite communications provided the answer and has kept the team connected on their journey.
In order to showcase Sir Ranulph’s epic feat of endurance during the challenge, it is important for Fieldcraft to share his story in real time and therefore give viewers a real sense of the grueling conditions and harsh terrains faced by the explorer.
Sir Ranulph’s team in the Sahara required reliable and powerful equipment for live streaming, that could withstand the harsh environment and blistering heat, so they could broadcast interviews with Sir Ranulph direct to BBC breakfast during the challenge. As well as powerful and reliable, the communications solution also needed to be portable and easy to deploy and set up quickly. The Cobham EXPLORER 710 presented the perfect solution.
Satcom Global provided Fieldcraft and Marie Curie with the EXPLORER 710 terminal they needed for the duration of the challenge. Used with the revolutionary Inmarsat BGAN HDR service it is providing the highest quality streaming over satellite (up to 650kbps), ensuring a secured, dedicated bandwidth, required for a quality live broadcast.
Fieldcraft also required the ability to be able to make calls, send emails, access internet for social media updates and share video and image files with Marie Curie and other media partners back in the UK. For this, Inmarsat provided Fieldcraft with the use of an IsatHub – a neat portable device which allows access to satellite connectivity using your own devices such as your smartphone, tablet of laptop.
These satellite solutions are bridging the communication gaps in the desert, enabling Fieldcraft and Marie Curie to share Sir Ranulph’s courageous journey and raise much needed funds for those with terminal illnesses. We at Satcom Global are honoured to be able to support such a worthy cause.
You can show your support to Sir Ranulph as he faces his toughest day yet, by making a donation to Marie Curie and leaving a message of support. Either:
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