Vertical Markets: WiMAX set for its Gulf of Mexico debut

Advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions provider Stratos Global Corp., was selected as the winning bidder for two of the three geographic zones for 2.5 GHz broadband radio service (BRS) in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) following the Federal Communications Commission’s Auction 86 that concluded Oct. 30. The two zones awarded to Stratos cover approximately 90% of the structures and platforms in the three auctioned areas.
The 2.5 GHz BRS spectrum is the U.S. standard for WiMAX technology. Both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint services can be provided in the 2.5 GHz spectrum. Those services are ideally suited for fixed rigs or platforms, work boats and other vessels, and a wide range of mobile communications applications. Speeds and bandwidth in the 2.5 GHz spectrum are comparable to land-based DSL and cable-modem service.
“These critical licenses enable us to introduce new offerings to complement our existing services for the GoM energy industry,” said Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm. “The IP-based services we soon will introduce will be consistent with the high-bandwidth, low-latency features of our current microwave network and will be competitively priced against VSAT and legacy radio technologies.”
Parm added, “Stratos has more than a decade of experience serving the demanding communications requirements of the energy and transportation industries in the often harsh GoM environment. We most recently demonstrated the resiliency of our microwave network in the aftermath of hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.”
The rebuild of the Stratos microwave network in the aftermath of 2005’s hurricane Katrina featured multiple ring architecture, redundant beach crossings and enhanced systems for provisioning, service assurance and network monitoring. The network proved its functionality in 2008 in automatic re-routing of traffic and in the rapid restoration of services in areas where hurricane damage had occurred. As testament to the network’s effectiveness, several large users significantly expanded their use of Stratos microwave services in 2009.
In the past two years, Stratos investments to upgrade, expand and enhance the functionality and resilience of its microwave network have exceeded $6 million. Examples include installation of Ethernet radios, replacement of on-shore radio hops with fiber optics, and continued transition to an IP-based network to provide high bandwidth,cost-effective services such as WiMAX.
Stratos expects to offer its new WiMAX services beginning in the third quarter of 2010 and is now selecting equipment vendors and working with potential customers to design, customize and prioritize its build-out.
About Stratos Broadband Services Group
Stratos is one of the largest suppliers of vital communications systems (VSAT, MSS and microwave) to the offshore oil & gas industry in key regions around the world, including the GoM where Stratos operates the largest and only comprehensive microwave network. Stratos microwave and VSAT networks provide offshore facilities reliable, high-speed data for file transfers, voice, video conferencing, email, fax and web access – all of which combine to make the network an extension of the corporate office. The Stratos Broadband Services Group is based in Houston, with offices in Lafayette, La., Morgan City, La., New Orleans and Denver.