The rescue of two explorers from the notoriously dangerous and icy waters of
the Antarctic pays testament to the invaluable service that an Iridium
Satellite Phone provides.
Record attempt
When making provisions for their attempt to land a Robinson R44 Raven helicopter
at the South Pole, the two experienced adventures, Steve Brooks and Quentin Smith,
looked to Mobal to supply the solutions to the communication problems that arise
when traveling in one of the world’s most inhospitable climates.
Not only does the Iridium
Satellite Phone provide a reliable and truly global telephone service but
also, and of equal importance, it provides peace of mind.
Life saving phone call
Thus when Brooks and Smith were forced to ditch their helicopter and bail into
a life raft, they were able to raise the alarm by using the Iridium
Satellite Phone to call Steve’s wife 8,000 miles away in London, England.
Nine hours adrift later they were picked up safe and sound, save for a bit of
a chill, by the Chilean Navy. Without the valuable satellite link the consequences
could have been fatal.
Iridium network
The service is possible from such remote locations by utilising a network of
66 different satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 450 miles and, traveling
at a staggering 16,832 miles per hour. At that speed the planet can be completely
circled every 100 minutes by each satellite.
Such is the configuration that an Iridium handset can be in contact with at least
one of those satellites from anywhere on the globe. The only constant that the
user has to adhere to is that the handset antenna must always have a clear line
of sight to the sky.
In areas such as the Antarctic, cellular phones linked to conventional networks
would be completely unusable.
So if like Steve and Quentin you are thinking of embarking on adventure, be it
the South Pole or just the South Downs, by taking an Iridium Satellite Phone
you can be safe in the knowledge that help is only a call away, and you never
know, It could make the difference between life and death.
