The 3.5lb R-BGAN satellite modem can transmit text, images and video as data files via a high-speed IP connection.
A Washington Post reporter and photojournalist will use a small, lightweight satellite uplink modem and a high-speed Internet Protocol (IP) data service to file stories and photos on an 11-week journey across Russia.
The journalists, on assignment for the washingtonpost.com, will chronicle how life in Russia has changed over the past decade.
The pair will use Inmarsat's Regional-BGAN (R-BGAN) terminal to post stories, photos and sound bites everyday of their trip, which begins in the eastern port city of Vladivostok and ends in the imperial capital of St. Petersburg.
While the newspaper has not announced plans to deliver any video coverage, Inmarsat’s newly expanded R-BGAN service offers high-speed Internet connectivity that makes filing video news reports using store-and-forward technology practical.
The R-BGAN satellite IP modem connects to a laptop using USB, Ethernet or Bluetooth technology. The satellite modem weighs about 3.5lbs and is about the size of a laptop computer.
R-BGAN satellite coverage extends from Western Europe to Asia, most of Africa and half of Australia. The Washington Post’s use of the R-BGAN will provide connectivity with the newsroom that was unavailable in 1995 when reporter Lisa Dickey made a similar trip across Russia.
For more information, visit www.inmarsat.com.
