Enhancing Pipeline Monitoring and Control with Licensed Spectrum
Case Study
Enhancing Pipeline Monitoring and Control with Licensed Spectrum
The Challenge:
A large international pipeline operator managing thousands of miles of natural gas and liquid transmission lines across North America needed a more robust communications solution to support its monitoring, control, and safety operations.
With hundreds of remote monitoring and compressor stations spread across rural and remote areas, the operator relied on SCADA systems and remote telemetry units (RTUs) to transmit real-time data on flow rates, pressure, valve status, and leak detection. However, existing communication infrastructure faced limitations in reliability, coverage, and spectrum availability—especially in challenging terrain and areas with limited backhaul options.
The operator sought a long-range, low-latency wireless communications solution to strengthen situational awareness, ensure operational safety, and reduce the complexity and cost of maintaining diverse legacy systems.
The Approach:
To meet these needs, the operator acquired licensed 220 MHz spectrum from Choctaw to provide a dedicated communications layer for SCADA and sensor data across its pipeline network. The 220 MHz band offers exceptional propagation characteristics, allowing for broad coverage with fewer towers—ideal for pipelines that stretch across sparsely populated areas, rough terrain, and regions with limited infrastructure.
The spectrum was integrated into the company’s long-term technology roadmap for SCADA modernization, enabling reliable point-to-multipoint communications and non-line-of-sight connectivity for both permanent and mobile assets.
Because the 220 MHz spectrum is licensed and interference-protected, the operator also gained greater confidence in the long-term reliability and performance of its monitoring systems.
the results:
- Wide-Area Coverage: The 220 MHz band provided strong, low-latency coverage across hundreds of miles of pipeline with significantly fewer base stations than higher-frequency alternatives.
- Improved SCADA Reliability: Critical telemetry from remote stations—such as pressure, flow, and fault conditions—now reaches central operations centers with improved consistency and speed.
- Operational Resilience: The licensed spectrum layer enhances communications redundancy in areas where cellular or fiber is unavailable or unreliable.
- Streamlined Network Design: Standardizing on 220 MHz for field communications has simplified integration across legacy systems and reduced the operational burden of managing multiple frequency bands.
- By deploying a dedicated spectrum solution tailored to the unique needs of long-haul infrastructure, this pipeline operator is achieving new levels of visibility, efficiency, and safety across its transmission system.
