'Broadcast in a backpack' delivers news contribution from Chilean miner rescue
Oct 26, 2010 4:03 PM, By Phil Kurz
Satellite communications provider Vizada played an important role in covering the rescue of 33 Chilean miners last week.
Vizada and its Latin American and worldwide partners helped many major news organizations transmit the story live through what has been dubbed by some as "broadcast in a backpack," typically consisting of a handheld Iridium and BGAN terminal that can transmit hours of live, high-quality video.
Vizada partnered with service providers, non-profits and others for coverage of the rescue. Media outlets used the portable terminals and satellite services to send many gigabytes of data over hundreds of hours of airtime. Vizada service provider GMPCS/Network Innovations partnered directly with CNN, ABC, CBS and CNBC during the rescue efforts, while Vizada user and non-profit organization HumaniNet supported RedeTV!, Brazil's 3-D network. In advance of the final rescue, Vizada fine-tuned its network to handle the anticipated additional traffic.
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