Maritime Communication Partner (MCP) is teaming up with Shell to install its first LTE base station on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The agreement signals the beginning of MCP’s ambitious 4G network roll out across the NCS, connecting platforms, rigs and vessels with high-speed and competitively priced mobile and internet services.

MCP’s base station and associated control systems will be sited on Shell’s iconic Draugen platform, the super major’s first Norwegian platform (beginning production in 1993) and still its most northerly producing site, situated 150 km off the coast of Kristiansund. MCP’s technical team will upgrade the GSM technology that is currently in-situ, with all work scheduled for completion before the end of 2014.

Frode Støldal, MCP CEO, believes the installation will herald a new communication age for businesses and individuals working on the NCS:

“High-speed, reliable mobile networks are taken for granted on land, but, until now, the offshore industry hasn’t been able to enjoy the same standards. This development with Shell is a tangible sign that change is on the way.”

Tags: Maritime Communication Partner (MCP)