New low latency mobile communication services set to improve support of offshore vessel operations
Marlink and Tampnet have signed a partner agreement for the delivery of offshore Long Term Evolution (LTE) based services in the North Sea. The agreement forms the foundation for Marlink to integrate low-latency 4G services into its established Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) portfolio, which today is used by Marlink equipped offshore support vessels for operational and crew communication in the North Sea.
A key aspect of Tampnet’s 4G infrastructure service for offshore communication is low latency, with Round Trip Delay between offshore vessels and client corporate offices expected to be no more than 25-35ms, depending on where they are located. This supports a high-quality user experience for diverse applications where lower latency can improve performance, such as video calling or machine-to-machine communication on critical, specialist operations. By adding 4G as another carrier to the Marlink connectivity portfolio, offshore customers can benefit from much higher throughput compared to other carriers in remote locations.
Tampnet’s 4G service is built on top of its offshore core network consisting of 2,500 km of offshore fiber. This core network connects the producing oil platforms in the North Sea, delivering 4G connectivity to rigs, vessels and anything else of a mobile nature at sea via base stations mounted to rigs and other fixed installations. Tampnet is building a single LTE based network covering the Norwegian, British and Danish sectors of the North Sea, enabling vessels to move freely from different areas of operation without losing connectivity. The technology is as flexible as the 4G mobile technology used onshore and planned roaming agreements will enable vessels to retain their connectivity near the coast and in port.
