Since learning that I'll be deployed to a remote site in Antarctica, I've been somewhat concerned about communicating with the outside world. (I think that the longest I've gone without contacting people outside of my immediate travel group has been about 2 and a half weeks.) I know I won't have an internet connection which is not a big deal in the short term. But, keeping you up-to-date about my experience will be limited without access to common technology.
This is where the satellite phone comes in. I won't be able to update my journal via the internet, but I will be able to email my entry to the folks up at ARCUS. This process will occur over a satellite phone connection. I've been told that I'll be able to send low resolution photos and emails (not always guaranteed) from our various remote camps. So, it may take a couple of days for you to see an update, but don't worry, I will still be there, recording my experiences to share with you as soon as it is possible.
All of you are familiar with land line based phones. Most of you are familiar with and probably even comfortable with cell phones by now, although, I suspect many of you probably remember life B.C.P. (Before Cell Phones). Well, tomorrow I will lay my eyes on something that I've never seen before (and definitely never used!) - a satellite phone! I'm very anxious to begin to learn how to use one of these marvels of technology.
For more information about satellite phones, such as what they are, how they work , how much it costs to purchase one, and how much it costs to use one, click here.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's update about how to use a satellite phone.