Inmarsat satellite broadband for Solar Challenge

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 28 September 2005 10:00

Business IT - Networking

Mobile satellite communications provider, Inmarsat, is providing satellite communications to allow competitors in the World Solar Challenge (WSC) maintain contact with the world.

The WSC traverses some of the world's harshest terrain, as the challengers race from Darwin down to Adelaide through Australia's Red-centre, relying purely on solar power to get them to the finish line.

Inmarsat recently launched its next generation satellite, the I-4, roughly the size of a double-decker bus that provides broadband access through its R-BGAN service. Access to the R-BGAN service is via a modem the size of a small laptop.

In addition to providing satellite communications to the leading team, Inmarsat and local provider TC Communications developed a mobile Internet Café that will accompany the race as it makes its way across the country before the race concludes in Adelaide.

Entrants will rely upon Inmarsat's R-BGAN service to upload their blogs, post photos on their websites and speak to their families using VoIP.

Lisa Wagner, head of enterprise business at Inmarsat said, 'The World Solar Challenge is a race built on ingenuity and innovation, two qualities that Inmarsat has great affinity for. The race takes the challengers to some of the world's remotest areas, yet we are still able to support them with reliable communications and internet accessibility."