Rajant High-Availability, Multi-Frequency Mesh Networking for Oil and Gas Operations

Rajant is a producer of reliable, scalable and readily deployed kinetic mesh network technology – with large, trusted installations that provide communications 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year in some of the most demanding environments imaginable. The essence of kinetic mesh networking is motion and flexibility, qualities that are paramount in demanding mining, oil and gas, and military applications.

Rajant kinetic mesh networks are pervasive, multi-frequency wireless solutions that enable secure communications over a portable meshed wireless network. Rajant BreadCrumb network nodes communicate with IP-based client devices such as laptops, PDAs, video cameras, satellite terminals, networked radios, RFIDs and sensor devices.

The Rajant BreadCrumb solution is a wireless broadband network node that creates a wireless mesh with neighboring BreadCrumb nodes, both fixed and mobile. The core routing software, InstaMesh, enables nearly instantaneous connections to moving nodes, creating a highly resilient, high-bandwidth network.

Vital broadband connectivity for critical and vulnerable infrastructure

Oil and gas operations require substantial equipment and manpower, and carefully orchestrated logistics, all dispersed over vast, often remote, geographic areas. By necessity, much of this critical remote infrastructure – terrestrial and offshore – is unmanned and unmonitored. The Gulf of Mexico alone has nearly 5,000 oil and gas rigs, transfer sites and drilling platforms, along with countless vessels and aircraft crossing the area.

With increased exploration and production, the potential for devastating accidents and dangerous terrorist strikes also increases. Meanwhile, offshore communications – particularly reliable, multi-frequency broadband – present challenges because of the variety of fixed, moving, manned and unmanned assets.

The ability to reliably network these assets represents a substantial advantage in terms of safety and disaster preparedness. Rajant’s kinetic mesh networking technology offers a reliable solution for connecting the equipment, vehicles, vessels and people that drive these industries.

Bandwidth for demanding applications

The powerful flexibility of Rajant’s wireless BreadCrumb network nodes and InstaMesh routing technology can be applied to virtually any remote or offshore critical infrastructure where broadband data and communications are needed. For example, a cluster of Rajant BreadCrumb nodes situated on a group of wells, pipelines or drilling platforms are readily connected via satellite transponders to satisfy a full range of voice, video and data communications needs.

Rajant networks are designed for rapid deployment, resilience and flexibility, and can handle the application data and communications traffic required by such large-scale operations. With Rajant technology, all network nodes can be in motion all the time, and there is no single ‘controller’ node on the network – so no single point of failure.

The range of applications supported by this technology is virtually unlimited: remote monitoring of platform and equipment conditions, voice and data communications, and video security.

Flexibility, scalability and reliability

Rajant networks are completely portable and can easily support hundreds of in-motion nodes and sensors covering wide areas. Unlike competitors’ fixed infrastructure networks, the Rajant BreadCrumb wireless network transceivers can extend the communication reach into new territories as needed. Even in areas where no infrastructure exists, Rajant BreadCrumb nodes create a robust and resilient wireless mesh network.

Rajant’s InstaMesh protocol, a proprietary data routing algorithm, enables continuous and instantaneous routing of wireless and wired connections by determining the best pathways between any two points on a network, even when those points are in motion. This approach provides robust fault tolerance, high throughput and low latency. Ultimately, it also provides flexibility for customers in remote and changing environments.

Reliability in extreme conditions

Rajant solutions are designed for extreme reliability under extreme conditions. Kinetic mesh networking technology ensures distributed control of BreadCrumb communications routing, resulting in unparalleled redundancy and availability.

Traditional mesh networks rely on a single access point, which acts as the root node / controller, with all other radios as clients. This one node becomes a single point of failure the moment it goes down, and the entire network goes down with it. Through the use of InstaMesh, Rajant creates a true peer-to-peer network, in which every node is independent, with full routing capability.

Rajant kinetic mesh networks provide redundancy on single and multiple frequencies, allowing data to be automatically routed over the best available frequency. Each network node proactively scans the environment and takes corrective action by switching channel or frequency the moment it senses an interference or obstruction.

Scalable wireless networks

In addition to flexibility and reliability, Rajant solutions offer customers the ability to scale wireless networks as demand and distance requirements change. Whereas traditional mesh networks degrade as nodes are added, kinetic mesh networks grow stronger with each additional node.

Rajant technology also supports a specialised voice over IP application, which allows customers to support voice communications even in remote field operations.

Rajant BreadCrumb nodes come in a variety of configurations, from ruggedised and fixed mounted units on vehicles to portable units that can be worn by first responders.These units link with the full spectrum of IP-connected devices to provide reliable coverage.