Top energy producer improves operational efficiency with communications infrastructure from Cambium Networks and Future Technologies Venture

Cambium Networks and Future Technologies Venture, LLC today announced that a top tier Fortune 150 oil and gas producer with global operations has awarded Future Technologies a multi-year, multi-million dollar project for an integrated wireless communications infrastructure to improve oil field operational efficiency and enable digital transformation initiatives. Multiple phases of the project are already deployed, with completion planned for 2023. The integrated solution includes Cambium Networks’ end-to-end coverage for wide area networks, field networks and indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity leveraging fixed wireless microwave and millimeter wave, IoT narrowband and Ethernet switching technologies centrally managed by cnMaestro™ cloud management.

Oil and Gas producers are not able to achieve step function efficiency improvements with communications solutions from multiple vendors. The end customer is leveraging one network for all of the following applications:

• Wide Area Network – Connect digital oil field vertical assets with gigabit-speed PTP 820 licensed microwave or 60 GHz cnWave™ to take control of private network and eliminate recurring costs
• Field Area Network – High-capacity broadband to oil wells, pump stations and compressor sites with PMP 450m fixed wireless
• IoT – Wireless SCADA monitoring and control with cnReach™ enables network automation and eliminates recurring costs
• Video Surveillance – Low latency PMP 450i fixed wireless streams video from remote locations
• Wi-Fi Capacity Injection – Infrastructure capacity for Wi-Fi with monitoring, control and private network security
• Ethernet Switching – Intelligent switching, powering and device policy-based automation with cnMatrix™ TX hardened switches appropriate for harsh environmental conditions found in energy production environments that reduce the time to provision the network

The two-year program reduces cycle time and delivers a lower total cost of ownership than alternative solutions that require combining technologies from multiple vendors. Results from the phases already completed include:

• Shrank total project timeline by at least 25% compared to the alternative options.
• Reduced total number of site visits and streamlined the project plan through the single supplier being responsible for the end-to-end delivery.
• Minimized operational disruption by completing multiple workstreams in a single site visit.
• Reduced total cost of ownership across the customer’s entire telecommunications value chain with optimized/integrated approach to project management, site development, deployment, network turn-up and equipment procurement.

In today’s digital oil field, it is critical to have an effective wireless communication network – functionally and economically. Centralized communications infrastructure enables operators to find and produce new oil and gas reserves, enhance recovery in existing fields and optimize productivity of downstream assets to deliver energy.

“Incremental improvements to multiple systems are time consuming and can only get you so far. Centralized integrated communication systems deliver real value to energy providers,” said Peter Cappiello, CEO, Future Technologies Venture. “By focusing on solving centralized management of the end-to-end network, rather than integrating multiple pieces from independent providers, we reduced the total project timeline by 25%.”

The integrated solution includes proactive and deterministic network management and advanced applications to self-optimize performance of the network. Unified management enables the network operator to focus on the needs of their core business while the technology delivers the connectivity reliably and at the lowest total cost.

“Efficiency and reliability are enabling Industry 4.0 initiatives at the intelligent edge of the network,” said Atul Bhatnagar, president and CEO of Cambium Networks. “Our wireless fabric of technologies offers energy producers unprecedented flexibility in designing communication networks that provide the coverage and capacity they need for their mission-critical voice and data communication. It is a pleasure to collaborate with Future Technologies on this success.”

Many technologies deployed in this network were new to the customer. The Future Technologies team hosted the customer engineering team for a three-day workshop where their network environment was precisely replicated for in-person, full interoperability testing in the Future Technologies Innovation Center in Atlanta. The result was an approved “Golden Configuration” that allowed for the Bill of Materials creation well in advance of deployment. This enabled the products to be shipped to the field in a standardized configuration that minimized time on site, streamlined installation, and met all customer objectives.

Download the case study on the installation to learn about the details.