A Noble Corp. jackup. Photo: Noble Corp.

Noble Corporation has selected Speedcast International to provide new IT communications equipment and fully managed connectivity services to its global drilling fleet. Through a combination of satellite Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT) and 4G/LTE in key regions, Speedcast will deliver end-to-end managed communication services to Noble’s fleet of vessels and rigs.

The solution includes a technology change-out of the fleet’s entire hardware infrastructure, with installations of dual-band antennas and new modem technologies to maximize throughput, security and redundancy. Noble will also benefit from segmented operational and crew networks to optimize efficiency and network availability. Speedcast’s global customer service centers will support the service with local field engineers in each operating region.

Through its subsidiaries, Noble conducts drilling services with a fleet of 28 offshore units, consisting of 14 drillships and semisubmersibles and 14 jackups. The company focuses largely on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling contracts.