Networks on the North Sea: stable connectivity for Jan De Nul and Vestas

That is undoubtedly stable connectivity with high bandwidth. Getting a high-speed internet connection on board is no easy task. That connectivity is much needed because offshore teams need to be able to communicate not only among themselves, but also with their family and friends.

The Vole au vent is an offshore jack-up installation vessel from the Jan De Nul Group. This type of vessel is used by their client, wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, to install and maintain components in wind farms. On board of the Vole au vent, their client Vestas installed two metal containers, which serve as offices and meeting rooms. Connectivity for computers, printers and other devices should be provided here.

Citymesh will initially split the network into connectivity for Jan De Nul Group and connectivity for Vestas. Each of these networks is then split into an “office” segment and a “leisure” segment. By “office” we mean, for example, meetings using Google Meet, calling with Skype or sharing files. “Leisure” is meant for recreation and entertainment, allowing the team to stay in touch with family and friends, and relax with a film after a long working day.

Thanks to Citymesh, staff on board the Vole au vent can use an offshore 5G network. Moreover, the combination with our in-house developed mesh hardware simultaneously provides high bandwidth and a reliable signal. Stability, ultra-low latency and high bandwidth are crucial for certain offshore applications, which is not achievable with a standard 4G solution.

5G, 3.5 GHz … Lots of numbers, but what do they really mean? Time for a crash course in connectivity! We’ll spare you the details, but there is one thing to remember: 3.5 GHz is a so-called ‘mid-band frequency’ and is very attractive for offshore applications that require fast connectivity over a relatively long distance. The extremely high bandwidths and stability are obtained by combining this with Citymesh’s mesh systems.