Crew on offshore drilling rigs can access internet and emails through wifi to counter the loneliness of working in remote locations.
Seadrill is installing Speedcast International’s Crew Wi-Fi service on 12 offshore drilling rigs to enhance welfare and communications for crew and subcontractors.
This provides dedicated internet bandwidth to crew and removes an administrative burden from Seadrill as it is fully managed by Speedcast.
With this service, Seadrill does not need to administer payment plans or manage bandwidth. Crew can use allocated bandwidth for contacting family and friends, browsing websites, using social media and streaming media content. They would then pay directly with a credit card or using PayPal through a self-service portal.
Crew Wi-Fi was initially installed on four Seadrill drilling rigs and is scheduled to be installed on eight more before the end of this year.
Seadrill head of partner management Ian Lamplough said Speedcast Crew Wi-Fi would be deployed on more rigs in the future.
“With Speedcast taking care of the administration and setup, it frees up our operational resources while still giving our crews the personal access they need and expect while working offshore,” he said.
Communications on drilling rigs has come a long way since the mid-1990s when Martyn Wingrove worked on them as a subcontractor geologist and data analyst, when there was just one telephone on board for speaking with friends and family.
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