Nokia and Tampnet partner to expand 5G offshore connectivity in the Gulf of Mexico

Press Release

2 December 2025

Espoo, Finland – Nokia is working with Tampnet, the global leader in offshore communications, to modernize and expand its digital operations in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America), with industry-leading 5G private wireless solutions. This includes deploying Nokia 5G technology across Tampnet’s entire footprint of 120 active base stations, as well as extending coverage to 350-400 platforms, rigs, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units, wind farms, and vessels.

Building on the 2025 deployment of the world’s first fully autonomous private 5G edge network on an offshore production platform on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), this partnership extends that innovation to U.S. offshore, setting new benchmarks for connectivity, safety, and digital transformation across the global offshore energy sector.

The Gulf is a strategic region for Tampnet, where the company operates both private and public networks and manages critical subsea fiber that connects offshore assets to the mainland. Tampnet’s infrastructure forms the digital backbone of the region’s offshore activity, delivering reliable ultra-low latency, high-availability connectivity that supports safer, smarter, and more sustainable operations from site to shore.

Nokia’s 5G AirScale Radio Access equipment will empower offshore industries to leverage advanced capabilities such as real-time remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and scalable automation. Workers in the Gulf will benefit from enhanced private wireless services, from increased safety to operational efficiency.

“With Nokia’s 5G technology, we are taking a significant step towards modernizing our offshore networks in the Gulf,” said Arnt Erling Skavdal, CTO of Mobile Technology at Tampnet. “This investment will enable us to meet the evolving connectivity and automation needs of offshore industries, enhance worker safety, and unlock new digital applications that were not possible before.”

“Our collaboration with Tampnet demonstrates how Nokia’s private wireless solutions are enabling digital transformation in some of the world’s most challenging environments,” said Jeff Pittman, Head of North America Enterprise, Mobile Networks at Nokia. “Together, we are setting new standards for offshore connectivity that will deliver long-term value to energy producers and their workforce.”

Multimedia, technical information and related news

Product Page: AirScale Radio Access

Web Page: Mission Critical Enterprises - Oil and Gas

About Nokia

Nokia is a global leader in connectivity for the AI era. With expertise across fixed, mobile, and transport networks, powered by the innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we’re advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world.

About Tampnet

Tampnet provides first-class, high-capacity connectivity to the global energy sector, enabling digitalization, efficiency, and sustainability. By operating the world's largest offshore network, Tampnet delivers reliable and scalable high-capacity, low-latency connectivity solutions that support safer, smarter and more sustainable operations from site to shore. Through continuous innovation and focus on reduction of carbon footprint, Tampnet revolutionises offshore operations, contributing to a more sustainable energy production landscape. The company operates offshore telecom infrastructure in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America). More than offshore energy installations, as well as a large number of mobile rigs and vessels, receive high-speed data communication by Tampnet.

Media inquiries

Nokia Press Office

Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

Tampnet

Renate Bakken, Marketing Coordinator

rba@tampnet.com

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