Stratos Completes New Deployment of its StratosMAX II Broadband Service in the Gulf of Mexico

BETHESDA, MD, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Stratos Global, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has completed deployment of its new StratosMAX II broadband service for W&T Offshore, Inc (NYSE: WTI) at 29 sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). W&T is an independent oil and gas company based in Houston.

The WiMAX-based StratosMAX II provides reliable voice communications, high-speed (up to 10Mbps) Internet connectivity, Stratos HotSpot WiFi service and a wide range of mobile applications. For W&T, StratosMAX II is powering numerous applications, including procurement, recording production and preventative maintenance.

Stratos also is providing W&T with an auto-failover VSAT service to ensure 100 percent service continuity to those StratosMAX II sites. The failover service protects against momentary outages on last-mile connections.

The Stratos microwave backbone network carries StratosMAX II traffic to shore. With its redundant beach crossings, survivable ring architecture and on-land fiber optic distribution, the offshore microwave network provides very high reliability in the harsh GoM environment. Stratos uses the industry's most sophisticated management systems to monitor its microwave network 24x7.

"The StratosMAX II advantages of higher speeds and ultra-low latencies over a robust network enable our customers to achieve maximum functionality at the same price they were paying for traditional VSAT service," said Gerbrand Schalkwijk, Stratos Vice President, Global Enterprise Sales. "This economic flexibility will enable customers to expand their networks to include corporate video conferencing, telemedicine and other bandwidth-intensive applications."

Schalkwijk added, "This deployment for W&T demonstrates our dedication to providing energy companies with customized solutions that maximize flexibility, scalability and crew welfare in the most rugged environments."

About StratosMAX II
StratosMAX II provides WiMAX coverage and connectivity to oil rigs, platforms and offshore vessels in the GoM. It connects fixed and nomadic customers back to shore utilizing Stratos' industry-leading digital microwave network with diverse shore crossings and onshore Stratos interconnection facilities. The IP-based StratosMAX II service offers high-bandwidth, low-latency features and is competitively priced against VSAT and legacy radio technologies. The low-latency features enable superior service quality and customer experience for lag-sensitive applications such as corporate VPN access, voice and video communications.

In addition to the high-quality connectivity back to the Internet, voice services, and corporate networks, StratosMAX II provides a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT)-based, service-continuity feature to ensure that mission-critical communications are not impacted by short-duration service interruptions in the GoM. This feature provides customers with a level of performance and reliability that is unparalleled in the GoM.

StratosMAX II is based on WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) standards. WiMAX technology is provisioned by Stratos over licensed spectrum across the GoM. Those seeking more information on StratosMAX II can contact their Stratos account representative, call 1-800-375-1562 or visit www.stratosglobal.com/StratosMAX.

About Stratos Services for the Global Energy Industry
Stratos employs more than 200 professionals in the GoM region and for more than a decade has been one of the largest suppliers of vital communications systems (VSAT, MSS and microwave) to the global offshore energy industry. Stratos operates the largest and only comprehensive microwave network in the GoM. Stratos microwave and VSAT networks provide offshore facilities reliable, high-speed data for file transfers, voice, video conferencing, email, fax and web access - all of which combine to make the network an extension of the corporate office. Stratos serves the global energy industry from offices worldwide.

Stratos recently completed a multi-million-dollar investment to upgrade and expand the functionality and resilience of its microwave network. Examples include installation of Ethernet radios, replacement of onshore radio hops with fiber optics, and continued transition to an IP-based network to provide high-bandwidth, cost-effective services such as WiMAX.

About W&T Offshore
W&T Offshore is an independent oil and natural gas company focused primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, including exploration in the deepwater and deep shelf regions, where it has developed significant technical expertise. W&T Offshore has recently diversified its operations by expanding onshore into the Permian Basin. W&T Offshore has grown through acquisitions, exploitation and exploration, holds working interests in approximately 67 fields in federal and state waters and has approximately 30,000 net acres under lease onshore. A majority of its daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T Offshore, please visit its web site at www.wtoffshore.com.

About Stratos
Stratos is the world's trusted leader for vital communications. Stratos offers the most powerful and extensive portfolio of remote communications solutions including mobile and fixed satellite and microwave services. More than 20,000 customers use Stratos products and industry-leading value-added services to optimize communications performance. Stratos serves U.S. and international government, military, first responder, NGO, oil and gas, industrial, maritime, aeronautical, enterprise, and media users on seven continents and across the world's oceans. Stratos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inmarsat plc. For more information, visit www.stratosglobal.com.

SOURCE Stratos Global Corporation