MiX Telematics vehicle tracking solution is one of the systems being used by the BBC to track the progress of the torch relay as it makes its way around the UK ahead of the opening ceremony on 27 July 2012. Fitted to the media car travelling with the relay, the system is being used to send positional data to a dedicated website, (www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay), which provides visitors with details of the torch's whereabouts 24/7.
MiX Telematics tracking equipment has been fitted to the BBC's technical vehicles for several years. It is used both for tracking purposes and to allow controllers to redirect the nearest truck to the scene of breaking news. The Corporation's familiarity with the system means the same technology is now being employed to track the flame.
Onboard vehicle telematics is one of several solutions being used to monitor the relay, with alternative solutions in place to follow the torch when it leaves the public highway; travelling up Mount Snowdon or crossing Rutland Water, for example. As such, each system is complementary and forms part of a broader picture designed to keep visitors to the torch relay website continuously updated as the flame tours the United Kingdom.