A team of charity fundraisers are packing Inmarsat's handheld satellite phone, IsatPhone Pro, as part of their essential kit for a 10,000-mile (16,000km) drive from the UK to Mongolia.
The Bearded Dragons – a British team comprising brothers Charlie and Paul Nicholls and Tom Cardale – plan to make the trip in aid of Go Help, a charity working with charities in Central Asia to improve access to education and healthcare.
The annual Go Help Mongolia Charity Rally sees intrepid road-trippers taking on a challenging route from London to the ancient Mongol capital of Ulaanbaatar, through mountain ranges and barren deserts.
Once they cross the finish line they donate their vehicles – including ambulances – to local causes.
Inmarsat partner Global Telesat Communications (GTC) has lent the Bearded Dragons the IsatPhone Pro for essential communications during the rally, which they will undertake in a 10-year-old minibus.
“When deciding to embark on such an unusual trip through some of the most remote parts of Central Asia, our personal safety and security always needed to be a top priority,” said Paul.
“Crossing through multiple countries and remote areas we couldn't rely on normal mobile phone service, so the satellite phone seemed an obvious choice, giving us – and our loved ones – the reassurance that no matter where we are we'll always be able to get hold of someone in an emergency.”
“Once we'd made the decision to get an IsatPhone Pro, we also found we'd be able to make use of its SMS and built-in Twitter functions.
“Not only use the phone in emergencies, but also to keep our supporters, sponsors, friends and family updated about our progress as we go.”
