Tampnet, the world’s largest offshore network operator and a specialist in high-capacity connectivity for oil, gas, and offshore wind, is partnering with Nokia to launch a major 5G upgrade across the Gulf of Mexico. Headquartered in Stavanger and Houston, Tampnet runs the dominant subsea fiber and private LTE/5G infrastructure serving offshore platforms, FPSOs, vessels, and remote energy assets. The company will now deploy Nokia’s 5G AirScale radios across its 120 active Gulf base stations and extend 5G coverage to 350–400 offshore installations, marking one of the most extensive industrial 5G rollouts in the region.
The initiative brings to the Gulf the same architecture Tampnet deployed earlier this year in Norway, where it built the first fully autonomous offshore 5G edge network on the Norwegian continental shelf. Tampnet’s subsea fiber backbone already forms the Gulf’s digital spine, delivering high-availability, low-latency links between offshore sites and mainland operations. Upgrading this footprint with Nokia 5G strengthens real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and mission-critical automation as energy producers accelerate digital transformation in harsh offshore environments.
Both companies say the expanded partnership will lift safety, operational efficiency, and connectivity reliability for thousands of offshore workers. The enhanced private wireless network is designed to support edge compute, sensor-heavy workflows, and advanced safety applications across rigs, FPSOs, offshore wind assets, and crewed vessels.
• Tampnet is the world’s largest offshore communications operator with subsea fiber and private LTE/5G networks
• Nokia 5G AirScale deployed across 120 Gulf base stations
• Coverage extends to 350–400 platforms, rigs, FPSOs, wind assets, and vessels
• Builds on Tampnet’s first autonomous offshore 5G edge network in Norway
• Supports real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and safety-critical applications
“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.
🌐 Analysis
Tampnet’s expansion highlights a broader trend in industrial 5G adoption, where private wireless and subsea fiber underpin automation and safety in remote, high-risk environments. Nokia’s continued traction in private wireless complements Tampnet’s unique offshore footprint, which few global operators can match. As offshore wind accelerates and oil and gas operators push digital operations, competing vendors such as Ericsson and Huawei are also targeting industrial 5G, but Tampnet’s specialization positions it as a premier partner for large-scale offshore deployments.