Download BGAN HDR in broadcast first from Antarctica

ENTERPRISE > Case Study > BGAN HDR Antarctica
BGAN HDR benefits
1
A choice of four channel
streaming rates including
symmetric and asymmetric
options - only pay for the data
you need
2
A step change in video
quality, thanks to a minimum
throughput of 580kbps
with the full channel option,
reaching as high as 800kbps
3
Bond two terminals together
for connection speeds of over
1Mbps, previously only possible
on a VSAT uplink
4
A dependable back-up solution
to cellular bonding – don’t risk
losing your live link
5
Available globally via the
Inmarsat-4 network, with 99.9
per cent satellite and ground
network availability and an
operational, satellite lifespan
expected into the 2020s
BGAN HDR in broadcast
first from Antarctica
Renowned film maker Luc Jacquet harnessed the
power of BGAN HDR to make live broadcasts from
Antarctica during the last United Nations Climate
Change Conference, highlighting the effects of
rising temperatures
Best known for the 2005 Oscar-winning
documentary March of the Penguins,
which charted the annual trek of emperor
penguins to their breeding grounds in
Antarctica, French wildlife film director Luc
Jacquet is also the founder of Wild Touch, a
non-profit organisation set up to promote
the fundamental need to protect the planet
and its dwindling resources.
When the United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP21) came to Paris in
December 2015, Wild Touch saw it as an
opportunity to focus global attention on
what was happening to Antarctica’s fragile
ecosystem.
A 45-day expedition to the French scientific
base, Dumont d’Urville in Adélie Land, was
launched, with media activities planned
to coincide with the conference. Inmarsat
partner E-SAT was tasked with providing
Wild Touch with a satellite communications
package which would not only allow them to
transmit images and video to a worldwide
audience, but also support live broadcasts
from the Earth’s most southernmost
landmass.
Setting new standards
The uninhabited icy reaches of Antarctica
are at the outer edges of Inmarsat’s BGAN
coverage area, but E-SAT was confident the
satellite broadband network would deliver.
For its live broadcasts, the expedition team
was recommended BGAN HDR, Inmarsat’s
high data rate streaming service. With
superior video quality and unprecedented
“Our goal was to share our work and what we are able to do with the global
community. What we realised from Antarctica with BGAN HDR and Streambox
showed our expertise, better than some big productions.”
Romain Martin-Rossi – Director of Communications, Wild Touch
transmission speeds, BGAN HDR sets new
standards in live satellite broadcasting,
while also giving users four streaming rate
options – half or full channel, symmetric or
asymmetric – so they only pay for the data
speed they need in any instance.
Having seen what this package delivered
under test conditions, including the
improved video quality and decreased delay
achieved by bonding two terminals, Luc
Jacquet and the rest of the team decided
to increase the number of live broadcasts
scheduled around COP21 to nine.
To access BGAN HDR, Wild Touch would
need Cobham SATCOM Explorer 710
terminals - compact, lightweight and
highly portable units with a built-in
bonding capability to deliver extraordinary
connection speeds of over 1Mbps. The
Explorer 710 antenna can be separated from
the transceiver and set on an external pole
mount up to 100 metres (328 feet) away –
ideal in such a challenging environment.
The Paris climate conference resulted in
a deal to attempt to limit the rise in global
temperatures to less than 2C - the first
to commit all countries to cut carbon
emissions.
Broadcast from the bottom
of the world
Wild Touch travelled with three Explorer
710 terminals. One was used with BGAN
Link, Inmarsat’s quick to deploy standard IP
service which offers data connection speeds
up to 492kbps – ideal for email and internet
access.
The other two were used to deliver all the
planned broadcasts, extensive coverage
on the Wild Touch website, and live
conversations with supporters on Twitter.
Completing the package were a clutch of
Streambox mobile video solutions:
Encoder software to automatically detect
the best possible bandwidth, latency, and
resolution
Evidence the team put forward to support
their call for more action on climate change
included the effect unprecedented rainfall
is having on Emperor penguin chicks. The
water permeates their downy coats and they
are freezing to death.
ACTL-3 advanced streaming codec for
unrivalled video compression
Streambox Cloud live video management
service for easy routeing.
Inmarsat coverage
BGAN HDR is supported by Inmarsat’s global I-4 network coverage, ensuring reliable access to
critical data from remote sites anywhere in the world.
“We were extremely pleased to
see the strength, reliability and
broadcast quality of our bonded
BGAN HDR service demonstrated
during this live broadcast from
Antarctica – the first ever from the
region to use the service. Pairing
our services with the Streambox
software encoder makes a powerful
end-to-end broadcasting solution
that’s robust enough to perform
well even in the most remote and
challenging of environments.”
Daniel Cooper – Head of Media,
Inmarsat Enterprise
About Inmarsat
Combined I-4 and
I-4 Americas
Combined
I-4 and Alphasat coverage
Alphasat coverage
Alphasat
I-4 MEAS
Alphasat
I-4 Americas
I-4 MEAS
I-4 Asia-Pacific
I-4 Asia-Pacific
This map depicts Inmarsat’s expectations of coverage following the commercial introduction of Inmarsat’s fourth L-band region,
scheduled for the end of 2015. It does not represent a guarantee of service. The availability of service at the edge of coverage areas
fluctuates depending on various conditions.
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
1,600 staff in more than 60 locations
around the world, with a presence in the
major ports and centres of commerce on
every continent.
To find out more about Inmarsat’s broadcast
solutions, visit:
inmarsat.com/enterprise/media/
inmarsat.com/service/bgan-hdr
While the information in this document has been prepared in good faith, no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no
responsibility or liability (howsoever arising) is or will be accepted by the Inmarsat group or any of its officers, employees or agents in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness,
reasonableness or fitness for purpose of the information in this document. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed and excluded to the maximum extent
permitted by applicable law. INMARSAT is a trademark owned by the International Mobile Satellite Organisation, the Inmarsat LOGO is a trademark owned by Inmarsat (IP) Company
Limited. Both trademarks are licensed to Inmarsat Global Limited. All other Inmarsat trade marks in this document are owned by Inmarsat Global Limited. © Inmarsat Global Limited
2016. All rights reserved. BGAN HDR Antarctica June 2016.