Stratos Introduces StratosMAX II Nomadic, a New Broadband Service for the Energy Community in the Gulf of Mexico. New service offers voice and high-speed data in Vessel and Transportable versions.
Bethesda, Maryland (October 20, 2011) – Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today introduced StratosMAX II Nomadic, a new version of its popular StratosMAX II broadband service offered via the Stratos microwave network for the offshore energy community in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) region.
Since its introduction last year, the WiMAX-based StratosMAX II service has been adopted by several energy companies in the GoM, as it increases the performance of corporate networks offshore. The fixed-site service provides reliable voice communications, broadband (burstable up to 10Mbps) Internet connectivity, Stratos HotSpot WiFi service and a wide range of mobile applications to oil rigs, platforms and offshore vessels. It is available from more than 50 base stations providing coverage of offshore production sites across the GoM. The StratosMAX II advantages of higher speeds and ultra-low latencies over a robust network enable users to achieve maximum functionality at prices comparable to traditional VSAT service.
The new StratosMAX II Nomadic service enables companies to expand their corporate networks to their mobile operations throughout the GoM. For the first time, these mobile sites now can benefit from higher speeds and ultra-low latencies. The new service is available in two versions. The StratosMAX II Nomadic Vessel version can be permanently mounted on mobile oil rigs or lift boats that move from location to location. The Vessel version also is ideal for workboats operated by companies serving the oil and gas community.
The StratosMAX II Nomadic Transportable version is fully contained in a carrying case and is well suited for companies that temporarily operate on different sites. Each version provides broadband (burstable up to 1Mbps) Internet connectivity and multiple voice lines.
The Stratos microwave backbone network carries StratosMAX II traffic to shore. With its redundant beach crossings, survivable ring architecture and on-land fiber optic distribution, the offshore microwave network provides very high reliability in the harsh GoM environment. Stratos uses the industry’s most sophisticated management systems to monitor its microwave network 24x7. Stratos also is upgrading backbone radios to high capacity Ethernet and implementing Multiprotocol Layered Service (MPLS) in its core microwave network.
“Energy producers on the move are demanding levels of broadband performance and reliability similar to what is available to fixed sites. Our new StratosMAX II Nomadic service provides a wider range of broadband options for the GoM energy community,” said Gerbrand Schalkwijk, Stratos Vice President, Global Enterprise Sales. “With this new service, these companies now have ultimate flexibility to expand their networks – and to reap all the benefits of high-speed Internet connectivity, WiFi service, corporate video conferencing, telemedicine and other bandwidth-intensive applications.”
Schalkwijk concluded, “StratosMAX II Nomadic is the latest example of our commitment to provide the GoM energy community with the most comprehensive range of solutions that maximize business productivity and crew welfare.”