PR releases

3G reaches for the stars: Orange 3G network used by scientists to access telescope in Hawaii

London 22 February, 2005:  Orange today announced that its 3G Mobile Office Card is being used by scientists to access and control one of the largest fully robotic telescopes in the world, based in Hawaii.  UK researchers can now observe the sky above Hawaii remotely and in real time.

The Orange 3G Mobile Office Card allows customers to access the internet from their laptops. To date, it has most commonly been used to access corporate information and email.  However, the scientific community is demonstrating that the network is also being used for the transmission of more unusual information.

The Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii is fully robotic – there is no human operator on site and it is completely remotely controlled via the Internet.  Users simply have to book an Internet observing session, opening the facility up to a much larger scientific and educational community.

David Bowdley, educational programmes manager for the Faulkes Telescope Project, conducts observing sessions on his laptop using the Orange 3G Mobile Office Card.  “The first time I used the card for a session was when I was driving with a friend on the M60 just outside of Manchester.  Observing asteroids whilst travelling at 70 mph is quite an experience! The images that come through from the telescope can be quite large, and the Orange network had no problems in transmitting the data. I was really pleased with the download speeds, and 3G really is comparable to broadband.  Now if I have an observing session booked when I am going to be on the move or away from the office, I simply log on using the 3G network.”

Using the Orange 3G Mobile Office Card to access the telescope is very beneficial as it will enable promoters of the Faulkes Telescope Project and researchers to give live on-site demonstrations and continue working while on the move.

Shaun Orpen, marketing director, Business Solutions, Orange UK said: “The Orange 3G network now covers 70% of the population in the UK making remote high-speed internet access a reality for all types of businesses across the UK.  With the growing adoption of 3G, we are seeing its use being spread to wider communities and we hope it will continue to play a major role in scientific progress.”

The Faulkes Telescope Project is funded by millionaire Dr. Martin “Dill” Faulkes and is supported by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) to provide access to research class astronomical telescopes in prime observing locations for educational and research use.  There is no need for users to physically travel to the telescopes, which would be costly and time-consuming.

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About Orange

Orange, wirefree and any other Orange product or service referred to in this release are trademarks of Orange.

Orange UK provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population, and offers roaming to pay monthly customers on 357 networks in 148 countries and to pay as you go customers on 94 networks in 53 countries.

At the end of December 2004, Orange UK had over 14 million active customers, more than any other UK network, making it the UK’s number one.

In October 2004, Orange UK won the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards - voted for by readers of Mobile Choice magazine – for Best Network Operator for the four year running.

Information about Orange can be found on the Orange website at www.orange.co.uk and media information can be found at www.orange.com

For further information, call the Orange media centre on 020 7984 2000 or 07973 201911

About the Faulkes Telescope Project

The Faulkes Telescopes (FT) project provides UK schools with a unique educational resource – two large (2m diameter) robotic telescopes, equipped with research-grade astronomical instruments, and located at professional observatory sites in Hawaii (FT-North – Maui, operational since early 2004) and Australia (FT-South - Australia, from Easter 2005). This project is the only one of its kind in the world, with schools able to regularly access research-grade equipment via the Internet for educational use.

The telescopes are funded by the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust (DFET), and will be accessible to UK schools through the Internet. Partnerships with the Dept. for Education and Skills (DfES), Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and several universities (Cardiff, Liverpool John Moores, Warwick and Leicester), assure high quality research and educational programmes will support telescope operations. An educational programme is being funded by DFET, PPARC and the DfES. The capital cost of the project is around £10 million.

Experts in astronomy and science, maths and ICT education have developed support materials. To assist teachers in the technical and scientific aspects of astronomical observing, a national teacher-training programme will support teacher training workshops. The web interface that allows schools to control the telescopes is designed to be simple and straightforward, capable of being used by the most non-astronomical users!

To find out more about this world-leading educational initiative, bookmark the FT website for developments and more details: www.faulkes-telescopes.com