Marlboro UAE Desert Challenge gets connected via Inmarsat

"With a combination of Inmarsat voice and data solutions, the organizers and attending media will be able to file the news as they happen for the first time in the history of the race," says Samer Halawi, regional director, Inmarsat.

"Previously, we had to rely on a combination of logistics to get the news out from the desert, a process that involved a couple of hours of lead time until the news actually reach publication and broadcast stations," said Mohammed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Desert Challenge. "The satellite based communication systems of Inmarsat will allow our team and attending press to be the first to know, the first to file, and the first to publish."

Inmarsat is providing the Marlboro UAE Desert Challenge with Inmarsat's famous GAN - Global Area Network - terminals. GAN is a mobile solution that allows international organisations and businesses to send and receive high quality, bandwidth intensive information from virtually anywhere in the world. GAN supports data speeds of up to 64 kbit/s. Together with a notebook, GAN is small enough to be carried in a notebook case and into remote areas where standard television uplink hardware or where the most basic infrastructure do not exist.

Halawi ended: "Inmarsat has a history in bringing connectivity for mission critical events. Whether for emergency calls or live news reporting, Inmarsat is excited to be part of this year's Marlboro UAE Desert Challenge."