Ericsson is bringing IoT connectivity to the often hard-to-access areas of the offshore industry, in a new partnership with Norwegian offshore communications group Tampnet that will connect workers in some of the remotest workplaces to on-shore operations.

Ericsson will bring its IoT Accelerator Program to the partnership; an IoT management service that allows users to connect and monitor sensors and remote monitoring equipment. For this project, the group will be helping to connect SIM cards that can be integrated into wearable devices for employees, equipment and other assets. 

With these devices linked up to Tampnet’s 4G LTE network, managers and other on-shore maintenance teams can access real-time data on offshore sites, helping to keep workers safe and streamline operations.

“Ericsson has the capability of delivering IoT management to any enterprise or industry customer, in any work environment,” said Kyle Okamoto, general manager of IoT, Ericsson. “We will work closely with Tampnet to ensure that its customers benefit from Ericsson IoT Accelerator – just as we are doing with more than 8,500 other enterprises around the world.”

Tampnet’s 4G networks currently represent the largest offshore high-capacity, low latency communication networks in the world, and the largest in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It currently services clients in the energy and maritime sectors and also manages a private LTE network for Ørsted’s Hornsea One, the world’s largest offshore wind farm located off the U.K. coast.

“We are bringing the same IoT connectivity benefits to the offshore industry and enterprises that land-based companies are benefiting from,” said Frode Støldal, president of Tampnet Americas. “Together, we are truly digitalizing the high seas as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”