Ericsson and Ooredoo Qatar partner to provide our oil and gas customers with offshore 4G network

Ericsson has announced its collaboration with Ooredoo Qatar to supply and implement a 4G network for the operator's oil and gas enterprise customers. The network will connect the customer's facilities with arriving ships.

The partnership will see the two companies deploying the Ericsson Radio System equipment to establish offshore connectivity between the oil and gas enterprise customer's facilities and ships. The solution will also serve Ooredoo's commercial users in the area.

Ericsson is designing a special ATmosphere EXplosible (ATEX) Zone 2 certified enclosure for its radio equipment to address the challenging operating conditions and the safety requirements of the oil and gas offshore operation whilst providing reliable network performance and connectivity.

According to Ericsson's press release, the two companies have already deployed a proof of concept (PoC) for the solution on one of the site, with major execution planned in the near future.

"Our collaboration with Ericsson on this project allows us to leverage our extensive network infrastructure, modernized with Ericsson's technology and expertise as our RAN supplier, to provide our oil and gas enterprise customers with a cutting-edge offshore 4G network. We are proud to be a part of this innovative project and look forward to its successful implementation," said Thani Al Malki, Chief Business Officer of Ooredoo Qatar.

Commenting on this partnership, Kevin Murphy, Vice President and Head of Ericsson Levant Countries and Global Customer Unit Ooredoo Group at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said, "We are excited to be working on this project with Ooredoo Qatar to provide a robust and reliable 4G network offshore for its oil and gas enterprise customer that is also 5G-ready. By designing an ATEX-certified enclosure to ensure that our equipment can withstand the challenging offshore environment, we look forward to supporting Ooredoo Qatar's customers in the coming years during their digital transformation."