Inmarsat Maritime partners with Aramco to trial world’s first over-water 5G mesh network
Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aramco to undertake a 5G “mesh” network trial that aims to provide high-bandwidth connectivity for Aramco’s offshore work in the Arabian Gulf.
The technology is designed to provide high-speed communication capabilities while meeting the demands of the region’s climate – including extreme heat, sandstorms, wind and water evaporation – thanks to 5G’s improved reliability in challenging weather conditions, Inmarsat Maritime said.
The MoU follows successful outdoor network testing in Rutland Water, UK, in February this year, which demonstrated reliable and high throughput millimeter Wave (mmWave) signal propagation over water, the company said.
“Our technologies provide the ingredients for a truly bespoke solution, and our exciting new partnership with Aramco is the latest example of this,” Ben Palmer OBE, President of Inmarsat Maritime, said in a statement.
“This new 5G mesh technology will be a significant step in helping Aramco maximize site efficiency, improve sustainability, provide a better experience for crew and protect the business from cyber-attacks. By combining many proven technologies into one integrated ecosystem, our bonded network is a single solution that can meet all customer demands – no matter how challenging the environment,” Palmer added.
Further testing of the 5G mobile Integrated Access and Backhaul (mIAB) network and of Inmarsat Maritime’s specific developments will be conducted under the extreme weather conditions of the Gulf later this year. The testing of Inmarsat Maritime’s 5G mesh in the Arabian Gulf with Aramco aims to showcase world-first long-range, high-throughput mIAB deployment over the sea – far beyond the maximum 1km range previously possible.
“By extending high speed connectivity to our remote and harsh offshore sites through 5G mesh technology, we aim to accelerate our plans to deploy advanced use cases under the corporate digital transformation vision,” said Nabil Al-Nuaim, Senior Vice President Digital & Information Technology, Aramco.
“This is expected to help us further optimise our operations and improve the work environment for our operators. Our collaboration with Viasat to run the first maritime trial in the world for 5G mesh technology is a testament to our commitment to develop and deploy advanced technologies. Working with technology leaders and capitalising on our operational experience in the field are key components for successful technology developments,” he added.
The technology has the potential to allow Aramco to optimise its offshore operations via the 5G mesh and enable capabilities such as intelligent remote maintenance and remote operations. This will include monitoring and metering with IoT sensors, assisted operations for staff equipped with augmented reality headsets, novel safety and security features and potential for cost saving and efficient energy use.
Inmarsat Maritime’s advanced ground infrastructure offers inbuilt cybersecurity and data protection. Ships operating further from the shore will be able to supplement ground-based 5G with satellite coverage, thanks to Inmarsat Maritime’s bonded network solution, which is already onboard more than 14,000 vessels worldwide.
KEEPING THE ENERGY INDUSTRY CONNECTED
Subscribe to our newsletter and get the best of Energy Connects directly to your inbox each week.
By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your personal data by dmg events as described in the Privacy Policy.
More technology news
![ADNOC Deploys AIQ's Robowell AI Solution In Offshore Operations 2](/media/ve4it4cv/adnoc-deploys-aiq-s-robowell-ai-solution-in-offshore-operations-2.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133651698997170000&format=webp)
ADNOC deploys AIQ’s world-first RoboWell AI solution in offshore operations
![ADNOC And E& 5G Network L R Masood Sharif Mahmood (E&); Hatem Dowidar; H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber; H.E. Jassem Alzaabi; Yaser Almazrouei (ADNOC) 1](/media/0smd2raa/adnoc-and-e-5g-network-l-r-masood-sharif-mahmood-e-hatem-dowidar-h-e-dr-sultan-al-jaber-h-e-jassem-alzaabi-yaser-almazrouei-adnoc-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133644720097300000&format=webp)
ADNOC and e& to build the energy industry’s largest private 5G wireless network
![Digital Drilling](/media/qkah4ejx/digital-drilling.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132786727909600000&format=webp)
SLB and TotalEnergies announce a 10-year partnership for next-generation digital solutions
![Baker Hughes Facility](/media/m5zpw3vv/baker-hughes-facility.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132682956530870000&format=webp)
Baker Hughes secures multi-year agreement with Woodside Energy for Australian LNG support
![AIQ Halliburton Ienergy](/media/trydghcb/aiq-halliburton-ienergy.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133642985761770000&format=webp)
AIQ and Halliburton’s Landmark announce Global iEnergy agreement for RoboWell solution
![Cgi Discovery Subsea Lit](/media/it4b4vlu/cgi-discovery-subsea-lit.jpeg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132600253303530000&format=webp)
SLB OneSubsea awarded contract by Equinor for groundbreaking all-electric subsea project
![Geothermal](/media/gl0jxcfe/geothermal.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133131403145600000&format=webp)
Harnessing the Earth’s heat: US DOE and Google step up geothermal investments
![renewable energy news for Energy Connects](/media/04edzab0/co2-web-14385.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132761034292600000&format=webp)
DNV to set standards for crucial CO2 flow metre traceability and accuracy in CCUS
![The Intelligent LNG Value Chain – Increasing LNG Delivered Capacity and Decarbonization with Digitization.jpg](/media/uy5lv03o/the-intelligent-lng-value-chain-increasing-lng-delivered-capacity-and-decarbonization-with-digitization.jpg?mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133440405832900000&format=webp)
Viridien selected for major seismic imaging project by Groupement Berkine
![Hitachi Energy Transition](/media/nsracli3/hitachi-energy-transition.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133624881227970000&format=webp)
Hitachi Energy doubles clean energy investment with $4.5b funding by 2027
![CSIS Thumbnail](/media/o0acqjyg/csis_thumbnail.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133566075809700000&format=webp)
CSIS: long-term LNG demand to reshape global export capacity growth
![Dr Carole Nakhle Thumbnail](/media/gqrpjths/dr-carole-nakhle_thumbnail.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133542056370600000&format=webp)
More women in energy vital to the industry’s success
![Vandana Hari Thumbnail](/media/gz3dyktl/vandana-hari-thumbnail.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133511540022930000&format=webp)
India’s energy sector presents lucrative opportunities for global companies
![OIL INDIA Thumbnail (1)](/media/oddlww2x/oil-india-thumbnail-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133506537128730000&format=webp)
Oil India charts the course to ambitious energy growth
![DNV Thumbnail](/media/chkphnjn/dnv-thumbnail.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133491856590700000&format=webp)
Maritime sector is stepping up to the challenges of decarbonisation
Partner content
![Navigating the trading seas: exploring the significance of benchmarks-1859882229](/media/qlacaiww/navigating-the-trading-seas-exploring-the-significance-of-benchmarks-1859882229.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133613577584600000&format=webp)
Navigating the trading seas: exploring the significance of benchmarks
![New Lng Ship Web 17829](/media/vjrjyypa/new-lng-ship-web-17829.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133179936218300000&format=webp)
Back to the Future(s): the best commodities benchmarks are still physically settled
![Dr Klaus](/media/4eyh2dr0/dr-klaus.jpg?center=0.3953747239980292,0.50683017007953435&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133517897092430000&format=webp)
Ebara Elliott Energy offers a range of products for a sustainable energy economy
![ESSAR](/media/5uafghtj/essar.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133524466961070000&format=webp)
Essar outlines how its CBM contribution is bolstering for India’s energy landscape
![HNC 7611 V2](/media/0dqbya15/hnc_7611_v2.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133517899616530000&format=webp)