Polar connectivity for climate action group

Participants of the Antarctica expedition of the 2041 Foundation will stay connected and share their findings in real time while on a climate mission, thanks to satellite connectivity services onboard an expedition vessel. The main purpose of the expedition, led by explorer Robert Swan, is to contribute to society’s understanding of climate change and what can be done to address it, saving Antarctica for future generations as an intact reserve for science and wildlife.

The expedition, comprising a group of 150 participants from all walks of life, has a bold mission to preserve Antarctica and to help reduce the impact of climate change by 2041 through raising awareness of climate action and its importance to everyone across the globe. The group of students, education professionals, scientists and entrepreneurs departed 20 March 2022 onboard Ocean Victory and will provide regular streaming sessions throughout the voyage thanks to satellite connectivity services enabled by SES and Speedcast. Leading passenger ship and fleet management company Cruise Management International (CMI) provides technical and operations solutions to Ocean Victory, utilising Speedcast for the managed connectivity services onboard.

This is the first time that the Foundation 2041 expedition will benefit from a dedicated connectivity service for streaming and real-time sessions with the outside world. To enable this, SES will leverage a C-band beam on the SES-6 satellite to provide connectivity, with speeds reaching up to 50 Mbps. Speedcast is providing the managed service for the expedition, including onboard equipment, hub, teleport, backhaul and customer support. The connectivity will help the participants remain connected with families and friends back home, enabling them to share the reality of climate change in real time throughout the expedition.

“This is a complete first in our history, where we are planning to be actively communicating live from our ship, which was made possible thanks to SES and Speedcast. This will allow us to get our message back to the rest of the world — on what we are doing, why we are doing it, but also to challenge people and encourage them to act to make a difference,” Swan said. “Helping Antarctica means helping the current and future generations, and we should jointly make a change already now, before it is too late.”

Gez Draycott, an SES employee, will be supporting the expedition onsite. Using the connectivity, he will give a behind-the-scenes look at the expedition on his Instagram account at @gez_antarctica and help promote increased awareness of this project.