Collaborating with RigNet, a provider of global networking solutions, T-Mobile now covers more than 60,000sqm of the Gulf – an area larger than the state of Florida.
The new service delivers wide spread LTE coverage to the offshore workers, oil and gas platforms, recreational and commercial vessels as well as the critical infrastructure in the area.
“We’re putting an end to the pain that businesses and consumers in the Gulf have felt for years with limited connectivity – and in some cases, none at all,” said Neville Ray (pictured), chief technology officer, T-Mobile. “We already cover 99% of Americans with an advanced LTE network, and we cover places no one else does – like the soldiers, families and civilians at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Now, T-Mobile has you covered, even in the Gulf, and of course…we won’t stop!”
The new LTE coverage uses T-Mobile’s 600MHz and RigNet’s 700MHz spectrum delivering an enhanced customer experience supported by RigNet’s existing Gulf of Mexico digital microwave infrastructure. In addition, to smartphones the new coverage will also enable businesses to connect critical infrastructure with IoT technology and monitor remote equipment in real-time for increased productivity and safety.
Additionally, T-Mobile used 5G-ready equipment to provide LTE in the Gulf, ensuring that customers will have access to next-gen wireless technology in the future. Since 2014 T-Mobile has more than tripled its LTE network and covers 99% of the US.
The company says that it will continue to “aggressively deploy 600 MHz Extended Range LTE” to provide its customers with better coverage and more capacity. Extended Range LTE travels twice as far from the tower and is four times better in buildings than mid-band spectrum, so it can provide better coverage in hard to reach places such as inside buildings, along highways and in rural areas.
