As conventional hydrocarbon reserves decline, oil and gas companies worldwide are sustaining growth and maximizing profitability by building out rugged and reliable broadband wireless solutions for communications. In today’s mining operations, the challenge is in providing the required Wireless Broadband IP bandwidth to support everything from remote office infrastructure and SCADA to autonomous hauling, M2M,…
Category: Utilities
Antennas: A Crucial Component of Successful System Design
When designing a radio system, the antenna is a crucial component. You want to maximize the RF energy from your radio to be radiated from your antenna. The antennas are specified with some of the following considerations: Maximum Power – The amount of RF that they can typically handle without failing. An antenna that is rated…
Do you Need Emergency Response + Repair Services? 10 Questions to Consider
There are a variety of users that require 24/7/365 Emergency Response & Repair Services (ERRS) in many “Mission Critical” contexts. Our clients include the Government of Alberta AFRRCS system, upon which first responders across Alberta rely. However, our ERRS service is also available to commercial and industrial clients who require high levels of radio system…
Push to Talk (PTT) Over Broadband
Voice is still the killer app. That being said, there is still a growing industry need to extend commercial and mission critical LMR coverage beyond the geographic areas that LMR radio systems extend. Furthermore, many agencies and businesses require the ability to keep their personnel connected across disparate networks and devices. Since the 2016 decommissioning…
Two-Way Radios: Rent vs Purchase?
Activity in Alberta’s oil patch has started to pick up, but it’s a slow climb. Companies that are anticipating increased activity are already being to consider their infrastructure needs, including communications, however the need to exercise caution is still strong. In this atmosphere, is it better to rent, purchase or lease? That is dependant on a…
In & Out of Your Vehicle Constantly? Consider Motorola’s Remote Speaker Microphone
If you depend on your high-powered mobile radio for communications on remote job sites yet often find yourself working outside of your vehicle, then Motorola’s long-range Wireless Bluetooth Remote Speaker Microphone is a perfect solution to maintain mission-critical communication at all times. The Wireless Remote Speaker Microphone (RSM) allows workers who must constantly leave their…
Key Differences Between Serial and Ethernet Networks
The Oil & Gas industry is being challenged to maximize their investment in the capability of its wireless infrastructure. Current economic pressures are making competitiveness and profitability more important than ever. Migrating existing SCADA networks from Serial to Ethernet allows for industry standardization while maximizing investment in existing licenses and antenna infrastructure. Production and field…
Considerations When Purchasing Two-Way Radios for Business
FRS/GMRS or Business Radios? Thinking about FRS/GMRS instead of UHF or VHF? There are several factors that need to be considered to ensure you’re getting the best value for your dollar, and that the products you select will meet your needs over the course of the product’s lifecycle. FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile…
Westcan ACS Contributes to Project Nominated for 2016 CEA Award
To service its growth, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has expanded its water and wastewater infrastructure – which includes more than 40 facilities – many located in remote areas. Associated Engineering (AE) designed and implemented a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communication system to operate and monitor all facilities remotely. The municipality contracted…
Insights from Advanced Communications Integrators 