How USX climbed to the Summit of Mt. Everest, set records, and stayed connected at 29,000 feet by leveraging Inmarsat Government

21 November 2016

On May 24, 2016, the USX Team successfully journeyed to the summit of Mt. Everest to raise awareness for our Nation's veterans coping with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the struggle of suicidal ideations. We were able to stay connected with our supporters and media outlets across the world through the use of Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) and satellite phone services.

By connecting our PCs, tablets, and smartphones to the BGAN terminal, we could surf the internet, check emails, post photos, update Facebook status, and conduct phone and video interviews with the media. It also allowed us to stay in touch with our social media team and gain publicity for PTSD and the challenges veterans face after returning home. 

Inmarsat Government enabled us to connect with our followers, reporters and sponsors, and keep them updated on this incredible journey as it unfolded in front of us. Without the BGAN terminal, we would have had to wait until after-the-fact to share our amazing stories and pictures. Tommy Ferguson, our communications director, was able to remain in contact with operations back home and provide critical information related to the mission status.  

The portable satellite phone allowed us to communicate at length with our publicist, Amy Summers of Pitch Publicity and thanks to her efforts we were able to connect with over 3 billion viewers through news and social media outlets such as Good Morning America, ABC News, CNN, and Facebook. We were able to express that PTSD is still an all too common issue with our returning veterans and we need to do more. Chad Jukes marine buddy and fellow veteran committed suicide while Chad was climbing Mt. Everest, and this provided evidence to how important this mission is and that it affects not just the veteran, but their friends and family as well. 

Inmarsat Government provided this unique capability to share in real-time our challenges and triumphs as setbacks were overcome and milestones were reached. We were able to talk with our families and loved ones back home, which allowed us to comfort them while they worried endlessly for our safety. On May 8th we even managed to call our mothers and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day from the other side of the world, on the edge of the tallest mountain in the world. 

Thank you Inmarsat Government for your commitment to keeping us connected through our journey.

-USX 

Tingri, Tibet. 13 May 2016. USX Communications Director, Tommy Ferguson, pictured in a Tibetan rice field using the BGAN satellite system to send pictures back home to their social media team in the United States. 

Everest Basecamp, Tibet. 24 April 2016. USX cofounder Harold Earls, pictured setting up the BGAN unit.