Tampnet buys Gulf of Mexico fiber network from BP

April 12, 2021
The network covers 1200 km and includes both terrestrial and undersea elements. Tampnet says it has launched a 300-km expansion project that also will see connection to two or three more deep water assets.

Tampnet, which operates a fiber network in the North Sea that serves oil and gas platforms (see "Tampnet upgrades North Sea submarine network"), among other customer locations, says it has closed the acquisition of a similar network in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) from BP. The close, which occurred March 30, completed an agreement signed last July. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The network covers 1200 km and includes both terrestrial and undersea elements (see map above). Tampnet says it has launched a 300-km expansion project that also will see connection to two or three more deep water assets.

The company will pair the fiber assets with a 4G/5G LTE wireless network that, among other uses, will support sensor networks and other elements of the Internet of Things (IoT). Tampnet has partnered with AT&T for this purpose; the latter also will use the Tampnet infrastructure to support delivery of FirstNet services.

“The acquisition of BP’s GoM fiber network represents one of the most significant milestones in the history of this company. We promise to nurture, develop, and expand the fiber network and related technologies and services over the next 15-20+ years,” commented Tampnet CCO Trygve Hagevik. “Our aim is to grow our GoM business through providing exceptional value to our customer base – as the industry continues to leverage new technologies and digitalization in their quest for safer, greener, and more efficient operations offshore. As with our North Sea network, we will make it simple, risk free, and cost-effective to connect new field developments to the existing fiber infrastructure – as opposed to the costly alternative of running new fiber to shore.”

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

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