Telstra connects Mundingburra Primary School to World Record attempt
Telstra is taking Mundingburra Primary School children on an historic journey, connecting them to NSW teenager Ryan Campbell who is attempting to be the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
Ryan left Wollongong on 30 June in a Guinness World Record™ bid to cover more than 24,000 nautical miles over ten weeks, taking 30 stops in 14 countries. His journey will finish where it started - in Wollongong on 7 September.
A class from Mundingburra Primary School will be one of four from across Australia to enjoy a live video link up with Ryan. Local students will be able to chat with the young flyer when he arrives in Osh Kosh, United States, using a Telstra connection on the National Broadband Network.
Telstra is assisting Ryan, who is 19 years old, to connect to his family and crew as well as enabling him to share his experiences on social media and inspire school children during his Teen World Flight.
Telstra Area General Manager North Queensland, Rachel Cliffe, said Telstra will connect Mundingburra Primary School children from Telstra’s NBN Fibre Experience Centre in Townsville to Ryan, to enable them to share in the excitement of his historic journey.
“We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Ryan and helping him to achieve his goal. By connecting him to school children along his journey, we hope he will be able to inspire them to follow their dreams.
“A Telstra mobile satellite phone as well as 3G and 4G devices are helping Ryan stay in touch with his family and crew as well as the many thousands of fans following his journey on social media,” she said.
"The link up over the NBN will demonstrate how fast broadband is set to make the classroom interactive and how this technology will help our kids learn about the world,” she said.
Ryan said Telstra helped him remain close to family, friends and his crew through the journey.
“Telstra has assisted me in connecting along the journey,” he said. “Using their technology I’ve been able to monitor weather and flight plans and update all my social media platforms from each of my stops. I’ve even been able to tweet from my satellite phone while I am flying. Telstra has been fantastic,” said Ryan.
Integral to this Guinness World Record™ attempt is the technology enabling Ryan to communicate including video conferencing, SMS, MMS and his Telstra mobile satellite device.
Telstra has also provided Ryan with a live map feed for his website, powered by his Telstra mobile satellite phone.
The current record holder is 21-year-old, Jack Weigand, from the United States who flew a Mooney Ovation GX around the world from 1 May to 29 June 2013, covering 21,000 miles and stopping in 22 places.
Last week Telstra switched on NBN services for customers living and working in parts of Townsville City, North Ward, West End, Castle Hill, Gulliver, Mysterton, Pimlico, Currajong and Cranbrook. NBN services are now available across an area of Townsville that will eventually see up to 20,000 homes and businesses connected.