02 April 2015: Intrepid explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is taking on the challenge of his life for charity, relying on Inmarsat to tell the story as it unfolds in the middle of the desert.
The 71-year-old veteran of numerous extreme achievements – including scaling Everest, walking to both Poles, and running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days – is attempting the toughest footrace on Earth – the Marathon des Sables (MdS) – to raise money for UK-based cancer charity Marie Curie.
Sir Ranulph plans to run 156 miles (251km) across the Sahara Desert in six days, in searing 50°C heat. This is despite having suffered two heart attacks, undergone a cancer operation and being in an on-going fight with diabetes.
A film production crew equipped with an Inmarsat BGAN voice and broadband data satellite terminal and AddValue’s Wideye iSavi terminal to access the recently-launched smart device connectivity service, IsatHub, will follow his progress after he sets off on 5 April.
En route through Morocco, Sir Ranulph will make use of BGAN HDR’s highest-ever streaming rates for live interviews with BBC Breakfast. Challenge coverage in the Telegraph newspaper and Sir Ranulph’s video ‘desert diaries’ for the Marie Curie website will also be powered by Inmarsat.
Find out more about Sir Ranulph’s challenge on our sponsorship page.