Blue
Sky
Network
and
Iridium
Equip
Open
Passage
Voyage
with
GPS
Tracking
and
Communications
System
4
June
2009
Blue
Sky
Network
(BSN)
and
Iridium
Satellite
LLC
have
agreed
to
supply
the
Open
Passage
Expedition
with
voice
communications
and
GPS
mapping
technology
for
its
upcoming
four
month-long
Arctic
journey.
Equipped
with
the
BSN
D2000
device,
and
the
Iridium
9555
satellite
phone,
the
crew
of
Open
Passage’s
vessel
will
have
a
constant
link
to
its
home
base
and
the
general
public.
It
also
will
benefit
from
the
added
safety
services
provided
by
real-time
location
monitoring
and
emergency
notification
capabilities.
On
June
6,
Open
Passage’s
40-foot
yacht,
the
Silent
Sound,
will
embark
on a
voyage
through
Canada's
Northwest
Passage
with
the
goal
of
documenting
how
climate
change
is
affecting
Arctic
communities.
The
built-in
Ethernet
port
of
BSN’s
D2000
and
the
data
modem
functionality
of
the
9555
phone
will
allow
the
crew
to
continuously
relay
its
current
location
and
findings
to
the
world.
“BSN’s
equipment
will
enable
the
Open
Passage
crew
to
stay
in
touch
with
their
fans
and
followers
during
the
entire
course
of
their
journey,”
said
Carlton
Van
Putten,
Vice
President
of
Sales
and
Marketing,
Blue
Sky
Network.
“We
are
excited
that
we
can
empower
them
to
communicate
from
such
remote
areas,
and
believe
it
will
help
change
the
public’s
perception
of
climate
change.”
“For
most
of
the
voyage
through
Northwest
Passage,
Iridium
will
be
the
only
reliable
communication
lifeline
for
the
crew
of
Silent
Sound,”
said
Greg
Ewert,
Executive
Vice
President,
Global
Channel
Distribution,
Iridium.
“No
other
mobile
satellite
service
is
able
to
provide
coverage
in
the
Arctic
region,
which
is
rapidly
growing
in
importance
for
commerce
and
industry.”
BSN’s
D2000
device,
engineered
to
withstand
harsh
environments,
operates
from
the
Iridium
satellite
network
and
is
conveniently
sized
to
fit
into
compact
spaces.
It
comes
equipped
with
a
two-line
LCD
screen
and
numeric
keyboard
for
short
code
messaging,
as
well
as a
“Quick
Position”
mayday
alert
button
for
use
in
emergencies.
Iridium
satellite
phones
are
the
only
MSS
handsets
that
offer
coverage
everywhere
in
the
world.
The
Iridium
9555
is
Iridium’s
smallest
phone
and
is
more
powerful
than
previous
models,
loaded
with
features
and
able
to
withstand
the
tough
environments
where
Iridium
users
are
found.
The
Iridium
9555
offers
an
additional
mini-USB
port
and
short
email
capabilities
to
allow
crew
members
to
talk
or
message
with
ease.
It
is
also
water,
dust,
and
shock-resistant.
“Thanks
to
the
communications
tools
provided
by
BSN
and
Iridium,
we
are
able
to
easily
share
our
journey
with
the
world
and
be
rest
assured
knowing
our
crew
is
safe,”
said
Cameron
Dueck,
Captain
of
the
Open
Passage
Expedition.
“We
will
be
able
to
easily
stay
connected
with
our
onshore
staff
throughout
the
voyage
-- a
critical
capability
and
one
for
which
we
are
immensely
grateful.”
