Redline Communications Group, a leading provider of specialised broadband wireless solutions, has announced that, after demonstrating successful operation in a rigorous competitive trial, Redline products have been selected by GCI Industrial Telecom for an arctic deployment on Alaska’s North Slope.
Arctic operations require that networking infrastructure equipment operate flawlessly in extreme cold, in temperatures as low as -40°F. Equipment must also demonstrate high reliability as the cost to repair or replace equipment spread over hundreds of square miles of remote landscape is extremely high.
"We don’t take any vendor at their word," said Rick Hansen, director of engineering at GCI Industrial Telecom, a telecommunications systems provider for the oil and gas industry. "When we had to deliver a wireless system to a customer on Alaska’s frigid North Slope, we ran extended tests of equipment from several vendors. At the end of the trial only Redline’s products were still working and they kept working for the entire winter."
Thanks to Redline’s rugged design, long range, and high reliability, GCI is now connecting more than 600 users over 1,200 square miles, in the harshest arctic conditions.
At the other end of the spectrum in the Middle East, the same products are operating in the extreme heat and harsh winds of the desert. Oman Fiber Optic Co. S.A.O.G has installed over 2,000 Redline radios in a major oil field in Oman.
"We selected Redline’s products because we knew of their reputation for reliability," said Mr. Al Barashdy, chief executive officer of Oman Fiber. "The products have operated flawlessly, even as temperatures have reached over 140°F at times.
"In harsh environments like the Middle Eastern desert, having such a reliable product is critical to realising a return on investment. Redline’s products have proven themselves, not just on paper but in the real world of oil and gas."
Redline Virtual Fiber products are used to deliver high-speed connectivity for outdoor industrial networks where running fibre-optic cable is not feasible or cost effective.
The radios can withstand the harshest of conditions supporting operating temperatures that meet and exceed -40°F to 150°F without the use of heaters or fans, and are IP67-rated for water and dust ingress protection.
In addition, Redline’s products are manufactured of anti-corrosive materials to withstand harsh chemicals and marine environments throughout its industry-leading lifetime.