Wireless provider T-Mobile, together with networking solutions company RigNet, are bringing LTE coverage to more than 60,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico.
For offshore workers, oil and gas platforms, recreational and commercial vessels and critical infrastructure in the area, connectivity has long been limited or non-existent.
“We’re putting an end to the pain that businesses and consumers in the Gulf have felt for years with limited connectivity – and in some cases, none at all,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer at T-Mobile.
According to T-Mobile, this new coverage leverages T-Mobile’s 600 MHz and RigNet’s 700 MHz spectrum to provide an enhanced experience for customers using RigNet’s current Gulf of Mexico digital microwave infrastructure.
The company said it is the first major wireless provider to light up the Gulf of Mexico with LTE, and noted that the coverage isn’t just for smartphones. It enables businesses to connect critical infrastructure with Internet of Things (IoT) technology and monitor remote equipment in real time for increased productivity and safety, it said.
In addition, T-Mobile used 5G-ready equipment to light up LTE in the Gulf, so offshore consumers and businesses will have access to the next generation of wireless technology in the future. 5G promises to bring faster wireless speeds to help move massive amounts of data, lower latency for ultra-responsive networks, decade-long battery life for IoT applications and the ability to support exponentially more connections per cell site.