Connecting to gas & oil pipelines can be challenging, if not even seemly impossible at times. Pipelines are often buried and located in some pretty remote locations. At other times they do run through or nearby populated areas.
However, this is a older perspective. Newer internetworking solutions provide richer connectivity options. So, connecting to pipelines is much easier now, regardless if it is in urban, suburban, rural, or remote locations. A myriad of connectivity options are now available, all the while being cost effective to make situational awareness and the granularity of sensor data work better and faster.
Network options include the following:
Private IoT networks can quality coverage for many kilometres if implemented correctly. Some of them offer huge data rates over shorter distances, perhaps 1 kilometre or less. However, other technologies offer significant distances ranging from 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, or even 20 kilometres if line of sight is available and suitable height above terrain is possible.
About the Author:
Michael Martin has more than 35 years of experience in systems design for broadband networks, optical fibre, wireless and digital communications technologies.
He is a Senior Executive with IBM Canada’s GTS Network Services Group. Over the past 13 years with IBM, he has worked in the GBS Global Center of Competency for Energy and Utilities and the GTS Global Center of Excellence for Energy and Utilities. He was previously a founding partner and President of MICAN Communications and before that was President of Comlink Systems Limited and Ensat Broadcast Services, Inc., both divisions of Cygnal Technologies Corporation (CYN: TSX).
Martin currently serves on the Board of Directors for TeraGo Inc (TGO: TSX) and previously served on the Board of Directors for Avante Logixx Inc. (XX: TSX.V).
He serves as a Member, SCC ISO-IEC JTC 1/SC-41 – Internet of Things and related technologies, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, and as a member of the NIST SP 500-325 Fog Computing Conceptual Model, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and on the Board of Advisers of five different Colleges in Ontario. For 16 years he served on the Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Toronto Section.
He holds three master’s degrees, in business (MBA), communication (MA), and education (MEd). As well, he has diplomas and certifications in business, computer programming, internetworking, project management, media, photography, and communication technology.