Inmarsat FleetBroadband Races Round the World with Flawless Performance
LONDON, July 2, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
- Live transmissions from boats enabled by Inmarsat FleetBroadband
- Bringing the action from final leg on Monday 2nd July and Tuesday 3rd July
- Live streaming available on http://www.volvooceanrace.com
As Race Partner of the Volvo Ocean Race [http://www.volvooceanrace.com ], leading
global mobile satellite service provider Inmarsat [http://www.inmarsat.com ] (LSE:ISAT.L)
has supplied its full suite of services to the world's most demanding round-the-world
sailing race. According to Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad, it has "performed
flawlessly, throughout".
Each of the six VOR 70 boats has travelled some 39,000 nautical miles, at speeds of up
to 30 knots in winds exceeding 50 mph. Inmarsat's FleetBroadband
[http://www.inmarsat.com/fleetbroadband ] 500 (FB500), FB150 and Inmarsat C services have
performed with 100% reliability in the most extreme conditions. For the first time, rescue
packs onboard each of the boats contained an IsatPhone Pro handheld satellite phone,
chosen for its resilience and reliability.
As the six boats head for the finish line in Galway, each is making ground-breaking
live transmissions - transforming once again how ocean racing can be delivered to billions
of fans around the world. The Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard each boat is participating
in the final leg transmissions which go out today, Monday 2nd July, at 1800-2100hrs UTC
and Tuesday 3rd July, at 0900-1200hrs UTC and 1800-2100hrs UTC.
Rick Deppe, previous winner of the Inmarsat Media Crew Member Prize for his work on
Puma Ocean Racing, manages the six media crew members for Volvo Ocean Race. He believes
that, "we have only just scratched the surface of what's possible in the Volvo Ocean
Race". Deppe continues: "At the start of this race we couldn't imagine the type, volume
and quality of content that would be coming from the yachts. So reliable is Inmarsat's
FleetBroadband system that each MCM can stream live video from the boats at any time of
the day or night in just about any condition with absolute confidence. This technology
opens up a host of creative communication possibilities to Volvo Ocean Race and our
sponsors. We hope to use Inmarsat's new Global Xpress satellites to continue the sport's
transition to a global spectator experience for the 2014 race."
As the fleet approaches the coast of Ireland the wind is expected to drop, slowing the
fleet upwind for a short time before the angle to the wind improves. There will be one
critical manoeuvre before the fleet can head towards the finish line in Galway. The latest
ETA for the arrival of the first team in Galway is between 0300 and 0500hrs UTC.
Live streaming can be found on http://www.volvooceanrace: TODAY, Monday 2nd July,
at 1800-2100hrs UTC and Tuesday 3rd July, at 0900-1200hrs UTC and 1800-2100hrs UTC.
About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications
services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data
communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of
services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. Inmarsat employs around 1,500
staff in more than 40 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and
centres of commerce on every continent. For the year ended 31st December 2011, Inmarsat
plc had total revenue of US$1,409 million and an EBITDA of US$854 million. Inmarsat is
listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:ISAT.L). For more information, please visit http://www.inmarsat.com.
Source: Inmarsat plc
For Further Information: Inmarsat, Chris McLaughlin, VP, External Relations, T: +44-(0)20-7728-1015, chris.mclaughlin@inmarsat.com