The private cellular network — a local cellular network that includes cell sites and core network servers to support the connectivity of, in this case, Phillips 66 — was selected as a proof of concept to demonstrate the ability to handle increased mobile connectivity needs from the firm’s ongoing digital transformation initiatives.
AT&T was selected as the telecoms provider to develop the necessary engineering for a dedicated cellular network solution, using multi-access edge compute across licensed spectrum.
“Reliable connectivity is accelerating business transformation and enabling companies to innovate faster than ever before,” said Chris Penrose, SVP of advanced solutions at AT&T.
“Our multi-access edge compute solution will help give Phillips 66 the control, performance and security they need from their private network today, while also giving them the flexibility to expand to their other locations in the future.”
Ahead of scale deployments, engineering solutions are being developed to overcome technical hurdles, while meeting operational requirements at Phillip 66 refineries.
“Mobile applications are central to our day-to-day business activities — we use them for safety inspection forms for oil distillation units, capacity tracking and more — so connectivity is critical to keeping our operations running,” said Zhanna Golodryga, SVP and chief digital and administrative officer at Phillips 66.
“The results of the proof of concept are promising. This private cellular network can address existing coverage gaps today and potentially lays the foundation for pervasive connectivity to enable upcoming use cases based on IIoT and 5G.”
