Europe : Orange 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.