By Com4 Press Release
September 18, 2017

Com4 has entered into an agreement for the delivery of data communication over Tampnet’s 4G network in the North Sea. By doing so, COM4 has become Tampnet’s first roaming partner in Europe and is now able to deliver the same IoT service at sea as on land.

Enormous potential
Stein André Larner, CEO of Com4, says that there is enormous potential for efficiency improvement offshore.
“With lower oil prices, oil companies must streamline in order to operate profitably. The oil companies are therefore in full swing to digitise processes and value chains. Internet of Things (IoT) is a core part of the oil companies’ digitalization agenda.

Examples of the use of IoT within the offshore industry are mobile data communication to tablets, machines, industrial 4G routers and various forms of sensors. Such sensors can measure pressure, movement, temperature, humidity etc. Another example is asset management where the oil companies are tracking where the spare parts are located using GPS and mobile data communication. Downtime for an oil platform means significant loss of income. Being able to quickly identify where spare parts are located reduces downtime and increases profitability.

Remote engineering is also a growing area. Previously, the oil companies had to hire expensive expert resources with specialist expertise travelling from afar. Now, local engineers at oil platforms can be equipped with an HD camera on the helmet which wirelessly transmits live video to experts who are located elsewhere in the world. The work can be performed with local resources but with the same skills as before. This way, oil companies save both time and money, which in turn reduces the oil platform downtime.

Enabling the IoT wave
CEO of Tampnet, Per Helge Svensson, says that the 4G LTE network is tailored for wireless communication offshore.
“Tampnet has made great investments in order to build the world’s best and biggest 4G offshore network. This network is based on our subsea fibre-optic infrastructure leading out to the offshore installations, and the platforms are being used as antenna towers for our 4G LTE base stations. The network and the services meet all of the oil companies’ stringent requirements for remote operation of their platforms. We believe that this infrastructure is the key to the digitalization wave, which comes in the wake of a tough period for the oil industry. With this technology, oil companies, service companies and machine and sensor manufacturers can connect their equipment to the Internet easier and more cost effectively.”

Mobile communication as carrier
The agreement means that Com4 in reality can now deliver the same IoT solution at sea as on land. This means increased focus on Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication as a vital element in a more cost-efficient, smart and secure offshore industry.
“Tampnet is a strategically important partner for us, as they are a global leader within offshore high-speed communication, with a solid infrastructure network based on subsea fibre-optics. Moreover, having operated within this highly specialised segment for two decades, they possess detailed knowledge about the oil industry. We predict that a lot will happen within our area the next two years,” says Larner.

For more information, please contact:
Stein Andre Larner, CEO of Com4
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +47 479 00 777

Per Atle Sørensen, Managing Director of North Sea
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +47 916 43 043

About Com4
COM4 AS is a Norwegian communications operator with a focus on mobile data communications for professional users. The company operates an extensive network and produces mobile services for a variety of different business sectors from industry and energy to health and safety. As one of Europe’s premier operators within Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Com4 is uniquely positioned to meet future requirements and challenges within IoT.

About Tampnet
Tampnet owns and operates the largest offshore communication network in the world, delivering high-capacity telecommunication services to more than 240 O&G platforms, Floating Production Storage and Offloading units (FPSOs) and ships in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as on the Danish, Norwegian and British continental shelf of the North Sea. Tampnet owns and operates a redundant offshore infrastructure network based on the 2500 km undersea fibre-optic cable in the North Sea, complemented by a large number of high-capacity radio line antennas and an extensive 4G LTE network.