Iditarod Sled Dog Race

Iridium Communications Inc. is providing satellite voice and data services for the Iditarod® Sled Dog Race, which began March 5 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Each of the participating sleds is equipped with a lightweight battery-powered GPS tracking device, which will transmit the sled's location, speed, heading, altitude and air temperature every 15 minutes through the Iridium satellite network to provide a vital safety communications lifeline for the race's mushers, dogs and volunteers. Race officials and fans can view the latest position and status of each competitor on a 3-D map on the Iditarod Website. This not only comes in handy for race monitoring, but also because it allows for a regular stream of data on the racers and sled dogs. 55 Iridium satellite phones will be used by race officials and volunteers during the race.

The Iditarod trail, which snakes across more than 1,000 miles through the Alaskan wilderness from Anchorage to Nome, covers some of the world's harshest terrain. Most of the route – particularly through the center of Alaska – is not covered by terrestrial landlines, cellular networks or other satellite communication services.

"Iridium is the only satellite system providing reliable coverage in all of Alaska," said Stan Hooley, executive director of the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC). "The Iridium tracking devices and phone handsets will again provide a critical safety lifeline for mushers, dogs, veterinarians, medics, media, bush pilots and volunteers who man the isolated checkpoints along the trail."

Source: Iridium.com