TV weather reporters in Oklahoma are performing a vital public service by keeping local residents informed of the progress of tornadoes and hurricanes.

They give people advance warning of the whereabouts of a storm, and the direction in which it is heading.

Tornado over Oklahoma

Vehicle-mounted
The severe weather reporters are using Thrane & Thrane Explorer 527 and 727 vehicle-mounted BGAN terminals, in conjunction with streaming video software from iPixCel.

Vehicle-mounted BGAN

The footage has helped the reporters - and their TV stations - pick up several awards.

Photojournalist and professional storm-chaser, Marc Dillard, is one of the reporters relying on BGAN to help cover the storms.

Dillard has been using his terminal for the past three years, and has nothing but praise for the service.

Available everywhere
“The BGAN network is available everywhere, and that is a very strong point,” he said.

“We cannot always rely on cell-phone coverage, and most severe weather events cannot be covered by traditional satellite trucks due to coverage area and other issues.

“BGAN also offers on-the-move transmission capabilities, which satellite news gathering trucks cannot.”

www.thrane.com
www.ipixcel.com

Read the full version of this article in Via Inmarsat Issue 49, out early April.

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