THE fans who rallied round the West Indies cricket team, captained by Darren Sammy of Saint Lucia, were jubilant at the team’s victory during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 held in India.
The region’s champions rightfully earned the praise showered upon them, with Sammy becoming the only captain to win a second ICC World Twenty20 title. During that match against England on April 3, he confounded his critics, and made history.
For those watching the match from afar, it was a thrill to see the region’s cricket team displaying their winning West Indian combination of integration and coordination.
The month of April also holds a special place in the history of spaceflight. On April 12, 1961, the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. His initial spaceflight launched significant developments in the space industry, including the development of more sophisticated spacecraft like the U.S. Space Shuttle, earth observation satellites and environmental awareness, and telecommunications satellites too. Without these advances in communications technology, you might not have been able to watch the West Indies champions live from India.
A significant amount of technology is involved in streaming a live cricket match to you, for example:
* Cameras that can capture the action in high definition;
* Compression algorithms to squeeze the motion data into smaller chunks;
* An uplink to transmit the data to a satellite in orbit above the earth;
* A coordinated set of satellites to relay the signal;
* A satellite downlink to receive the relayed signal;
* Eventually, the signal is broadcast to your TV.
Without the live video to worry ab out, the path to your listening ear may be simpler, but no less impressive. Remember this the next time you switch on your TV to watch your favourite cricket team playing a game halfway across the world. The contribution of information and communications technology to your enjoyment is just as impressive as the champions on the field who represent us.
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About the Author
Dr. Lyndell St. Ville is an ICT Consultant based in Saint Lucia. He builds capacity and advises on data management, systems analysis, and system development.