Meeting deadlines is probably more associated with journalism than any other profession. For printed publications, a great story or photograph is useless if it arrives even seconds after the deadline. Being able to publish at any time means that online publications don’t have the same deadline restrictions, but editors still want material out before their competitors. The key to being first is being the quickest. Speed is crucial.
Not long ago, the car was the photojournalist’s fastest method for getting a roll of film back to the office. But in the digital age, mobile broadband allows photojournalists to send high-quality images to their headquarters within seconds of capturing that special shot. Broadband is more than a benefit – it is an essential enabler in their daily work.
Pontus Lundahl works for Scanpix Sweden, one of the Nordic region’s leading photo agencies and the official photo agency for the royal wedding. The photographs he will take in Stockholm this week could be used in publications anywhere in the world.
"This is a big occasion for us," he says. "Like all big stories, breaking news, or important sports events, a good connection and speed is crucial."
"When I get shots that I’m happy with I can load them onto my laptop and send them back to the office very quickly. Some locations – for example, sports stadiums – often have Wi-Fi connectivity hotspots especially for journalists."
"But connectivity is usually good, no matter where I go in Stockholm. I can send images back really quickly from almost anywhere."
Technology advances mean that Lundahl can even send photographs directly from his camera to the agency’s base, without the need to upload them to his laptop.
The reliability of mobile broadband will be more important to Scanpix Sweden than ever during the royal wedding weekend whether pictures are being sent via 3G or Telia’s 4G commercial network, which the agency will use for the first time.
"For a breaking news story, I can send images almost instantly as soon as I get to the location," he says. "That is all made possible by mobile broadband. It is like the still photography equivalent of live television."
"For example, a colleague who was covering the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sent photographs directly from his camera to our agency offices in Stockholm. Scanpix received the images almost as the events were happening."
For a picture agency such as Scanpix, there is an obvious direct relationship between mobile broadband and being able to offer high-quality pictures to photographic editors on newspapers or other publications before other agencies. In simple terms, mobile broadband helps boost business.
"All of the international journalists and photojournalists who will be in Stockholm this week already know about the importance of good connectivity and speed," Lundahl says. "If they are not surprised by the connectivity on the streets of the city, I believe they will at least be happy with it. That is down to mobile broadband. It could also be a real test for the city as the large number of visiting journalists and tourists could place more demand than ever on the broadband and mobile broadband networks."
Stockholm’s connectivity, and the drive to make it accessible by all its citizens, was recognized by the Intelligent Community Forum; the city was named the Intelligent Community of the Year 2009, becoming the 10th winner of the global award.
Labels: Ericsson
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