Tampnet, the global leader in offshore connectivity, has secured a five-year contract with Island Drilling AS to supply a complete, next-generation communications stack for the harsh-environment semi-submersible Island Innovator – the service includes low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite back-haul from Starlink and OneWeb, integrated with the Tampnet North Sea LTE and T-FAST (Multiple Carrier, Low Footprint, High Speed Antenna) microwave/fibre backbone. Combining this with an AI-driven orchestration layer that automatically routes each packet over the optimal path, the fully managed private 4G/5G network delivers seamless mobility and digitalisation across the entire rig.

“A well-connected rig is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s the backbone for remote operations and data-driven decision-making,” said Trygve Hagevik, CCO at Tampnet. “By blending LEO, LTE and LOS/fibre with real-time AI traffic steering and Private Network, we’re giving Island Drilling the performance and resilience they need – plus the freedom to scale advanced use cases such as predictive maintenance, digital twins and autonomous inspections”.

Roger Simmons, CEO, Island Drilling AS, added, “The Island Innovator operates in some of the world’s toughest conditions. Tampnet’s multi-layer network and private 5G capability will let our crews work smarter and safer while enabling our rig for the digital future”.

What the contract delivers: 

• Hybrid back-haul: Starlink & OneWeb LEO, Tampnet LTE, T-FAST and microwave/fibre

• AI-based orchestration: path-selection & QoS tuned in real-time to application needs

• End-to-end private 4G/5G: seamless mobility for people, sensors, drones and robotics

• Edge-ready architecture supports digital twins, AR/VR, remote expert video and mission-critical voice/data

• Guaranteed SLAs & 24/7 NOC support from Tampnet Operations Centres

The deployment will be fully operational before Island Innovator commences its next North Sea campaign in Q4 2025.

Image credit: Island Drilling AS