Sending video updates to the expedition website, Impossible2Possible Expedition Bolivia used Inmarsat’s BGAN Service to broadcast live chemistry experiments to schools across North America during a run across the Salar de Uyni salt flats in the Bolivian Andes. The Salar de Uyni salt flats are the largest salt flats in the world. During the 7 day expedition the students ran 200km (124 miles), crossing the massive 4,085 square miles of the salt flats. Expedition Boliviais the fourth adventure run by the Impossible2Possible Experiential Learning Program, known for providing online educational support to schools around the world.
Dubbed “youth Ambassadors’, Ray Zahab, the program founder, invited five students to run across the salt flats at altitudes of up to 4,572 meters (15,000 ft). The students were joined by Dr. George Agnes, a chemistry professor from Simon Fraser University in California and Dr Greg Wells, an expert in human physiology from Toronto. In celebration of the International Year of Chemistry, the scientists conducted live experiments designed to explain the natural elements of Salar de Uyuni – including the properties of salt and the effect of high altitude on the human body. Using BGAN X-Stream to stream live video, the GUARANTEED data rates from 384 up to 450kbps provided the speeds necessary to share the experiments with thousands of students in real time.
“BGAN has provided us with exceptional broadband connectivity in the harsh Siberian wilderness, the Tunisian desert and now the remote Andes,” said Zahab. I’m continually impressed by the system’s durability and reliability, which has helped us bring our message of education, inspiration and empowerment to millions worldwide.”
During the expedition Inmarsat also provided a range of value-added services including its BGAN Dashboard to monitor and control airtime usage, and GPS tracking to follow the expedition and ensure their safety