Case Studies
Introduction
Black Thorn Films, founded in Namibia in 2021 by Paul and Kerstin Brehem, combines deep expertise in wildlife conservation, tourism, and film production. With decades of experience operating in Africa’s most remote and logistically challenging locations, the team specializes in supporting complex wildlife and nature documentary shoots. Their services—including field logistics, specialised vehicles and equipment, experienced crews, and regulatory support—have enabled collaborations with leading clients such as the BBC, National Geographic, and Silverback, delivering seamless and professional productions across the continent.
The Challenge
Major communication challenges were faced due to the Base Camps remote location from where the film crew operated. Mobile coverage was limited to specific spots where one had to remain stationary to maintain minimal signal strength, making communication difficult. Even the available Wi-Fi, dependent on the existing VSAT service, was slow and unstable—simple tasks like sending a WhatsApp message could take several minutes. Reliable connectivity was essential for uploading research photos and maintaining communication with the team.
The Solution
Oblixx Communication Networks, through Q-KON, offered the solution to eliminate the connectivity challenges by installing a Twoobii T3 VSAT system, operating on Ka-band and designed to meet the client’s specific bandwidth and reliability requirements. The setup also included a Wi-Fi router configured according to client’s standard deployment protocols, with performance optimization to ensure maximum throughput. The service was thoroughly tested for signal strength, latency, and data transfer rates. The client benefited from significant gains in both speed and stability, allowing uninterrupted data uploads and reliable communication throughout the project.
“Both the installation process and the service quality provided exceeded our expectations”
— Black Thorn crew lead.
