Livewire Digital goes Pole to Pole

Teen adventurers Rob Gauntlett and James Hooper will relay footage of their world record attempt to travel from pole to pole using a broadcast system donated by Livewire Digital, the leading supplier of integrated data, voice and video broadcast services. The childhood friends, who hope to travel from pole to pole using only human or natural power in temperatures ranging from -50 to +50 , will relay live and recorded video of their journey. The footage, captured on a Livewire laptop and M-Link Voyager software, is to be transmitted back to the UK and will be broadcast every Sunday at 18.45 on ITN News, ITV1.

M-Link Voyager provides broadcast quality video for rapid and comprehensive news gathering via satellite, mobile, IP, and ISDN networks. It is the professional solution for the delivery of news and documentary wherever the action is taking place, and is especially suitable for extreme terrain and conditions.

The adventure will see Rob and James, who are the youngest Westerners to have climbed Mount Everest, walking, cycling, skiing and sailing from the North to South Pole. Their attempt, which involves crossing 14 countries in 11 months, has been affected by bad weather, with all flights from their base in Greenland grounded. Rob and James therefore had to use huskies to take them to their starting point. Thanks to Livewire Digital, they have been sending back breathtaking footage of Greenland and the huskies using M-Link over BGAN.

Howard Andrews, expedition manager, said “We are very thankful to Livewire Digital for the offer of the Voyager broadcast system. With harsh weather conditions and space at a premium, this compact and durable broadcast system is exactly what we were looking for.”

Tristan Wood, Managing Director of Livewire Digital, explained “This record attempt takes a lot of courage and we are behind Rob and James all the way. It is a feat that deserves to be recorded and seen, so we were more than happy to provide them with the necessary M-Link Voyager set-up. As it is normally used for solo news reporting from remote and hostile locations, it is perfect for this expedition, and we look forward to watching their adventures over the next 11 months.”

Regular news and footage of the journey can be found at www.180degrees.co.uk.