WiMAX on North Sea Oil Rigs

Alcatel-Lucent says that it has been selected by OLF, the Norwegian Oil Industry Association, to carry out a Universal WiMAX test in the North Sea. The primary objective is to confirm that WiMAX technology will improve offshore data communication. The deployment is planned for the first quarter of 2007 and should last 9 months.

OLF is looking to enhance the communication between platforms and moving vessels whatever the weather conditions. It has selected WiMAX notably for its long range and high capacity.

The pilot is based on Universal WiMAX IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard equipment. Alcatel-Lucent will provide OLF with its Alcatel-Lucent 9100 WiMAX end-to-end radio solution, including base stations, Wireless Access Controller and Operation and Maintenance Center. Alcatel-Lucent's base stations, equipped with Advanced Antenna System (AAS) technology for beamforming technology will be installed on one of the platforms at BP Norway's Valhall field, while two ships will be equipped with terminal equipment.

"We expect considerable improvements in data communication between platforms and ships, compared to traditional technologies", says Oyvind Roth, Senior Advicer to OLF. "WiMAX will allow high speed and high quality data transfers. It will enable the usage of VoIP along the Norwegian coast and in the off-shore sector. We trust Alcatel-Lucent, the leader in this technology, to make this pilot successful".

"This WiMAX pilot in the North Sea is the very first in the oil & gas industry. We are proud to support OLF in this exciting project as we strongly believe in the huge potential of WiMAX," says Lars Boilesen, Head of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in the Nordic and Baltic regions."

Posted to the site on 10th January 2007