FreeWave Selected by Petrobras for Wireless Data Radio Installation

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FreeWave Technologies, (http://www.freewave.com), manufacturer of the most reliable, high-performance spread spectrum and licensed radios for critical data transmission, has been chosen by the sixth largest energy company in the world, Petrobras, to automate pump stations for more than 200 oil and gas wells in Brazil. The installed radios are FreeWave's HTplus Ethernet radios that provide complete pump station automation by transmitting critical data, such as flow rate, pressure, temperatures and more.

Additionally, many of the pump stations in Brazil are located in areas where theft and vandalism are high. Due to the ownership land rights, and permitting "right of way," etc., many of the pumping sites have minimal security fencing. With the theft of metals, especially copper, on the rise around the world, thieves often are stealing from remote, industrial locations. In order to help curb the increasing threats, Petrobras also was looking for a solution that would have a high enough bandwidth that when combined with the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), could eventually support IP cameras for enhanced security monitoring. While a FreeWave competitor has more commonly been used by Petrobras Brazil, it was open to considering other radio options.

"Although we had used a competing vendor for other SCADA projects, we were willing to take a look at what FreeWave had to offer," explained Celso Gomes Alves Neto, a plenary equipment engineer at Petrobras. "Between the meetings, visits and test pilot, FreeWave proved its HTplus Ethernet solution was ideal for this particular installation. We especially were interested in the HTplus' high bandwidth, which is essential in reaching our ultimate goal of enabling IP camera monitoring to further protect our assets. FreeWave also is the only company offering a free path study service, which is quite unique. Since deployment, we have been very satisfied with the results."

The FreeWave HTplus Ethernet radio is ideal for customers who need an industrial grade high-speed Ethernet radio that operates in harsh environments and noisy RF conditions. Delivering data at a rate of up to 867 Kbps, the HTplus is an excellent radio for SCADA backhaul networks. The HT product family supports UDP, TCP and serial communications, all in one package. These options offer customers a significant cost advantage, because the HTplus radios can operate with existing equipment rather than requiring hardware replacement.

"In the Petrobras installation, pump stations are located in a fairly mountainous region," said Roy Rosado, business development executive for Latin American Markets at FreeWave Technologies. "The HTplus's high performance, along with careful testing and planning by FreeWave prior to installation, has allowed it to successfully transmit critical data since installation."

Another key success factor of the HTplus is its versatility. A single radio can be configured as a gateway, end point or repeater. The HTplus also provides a range of more than 60 miles that can be extended further through the use of repeaters. The flexibility and long range of FreeWave's HTplus radios make it an ideal fit for the Petrobras project.

"The opportunity to provide critical data transmission for a major energy company that typically uses a competitor was a very important win in our efforts to deploy FreeWave radios in Latin America," said Ashish Sharma, chief marketing officer at FreeWave Technologies. "We will continue to develop and tailor our wireless radios to customers' needs in an effort to provide the most reliable, cost effective solutions on the market today."

About FreeWave Technologies

Founded in 1993, FreeWave Technologies manufactures the most reliable, high performing, lowest power consumption, spread spectrum and licensed radios for mission-critical data transmission. Through engineering excellence and a relentless commitment to best-in-class manufacturing, FreeWave customers enjoy superior radio up-time, range and the lowest cost of ownership available. Based in Boulder, Colorado, FreeWave designs and manufactures radios that are the leading choice for oil and gas, utility, military and numerous other industrial applications. Organizations that count on radio data communications for operational success – where failure and down-time are not an option – trust FreeWave for custom network design, system engineering and customer support that are unparalleled in the market. For additional information, contact FreeWave directly at 866.399.4930 or at [email protected]. Visit the company's website at www.freewave.com.

Press Contact:
Christin Jeffers
Catapult PR-IR
303-581-7760 ext. 19
[email protected]

SOURCE FreeWave Technologies

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