Can you get DIRECTV on an oil rig?

You bet you can. Whether that oil rig is onshore or offshore, the best satellite TV service is available to our customers who help supply the world with petroleum.

The special considerations of oil rigs

I can understand why some folks would think that you couldn’t get satellite TV on oil rigs. Oil rigs are essentially giant machines and they put out a decent amount of electronic interference. That interference can make it difficult to get a signal from an off-air antenna. Not only that, the composition of an onshore oil rig makes it hard to get television cable to it. And offshore? Forget it. You’re never getting cable TV if you’re a few miles out in the ocean.

With satellite TV, none of that matters. The dish itself can be mounted up high so that interference isn’t an issue. There’s no wire from the cable company to worry about, either.

Does the signal really reach out into the ocean?

As I said in this article, a typical satellite signal will reach about 50 miles into the ocean. Satellite signals are focused into spot beams which cover different areas of the country, but it’s impossible to focus them perfectly. In order to make sure everyone on the coast gets good service, the signal is going to go several miles out to the ocean.

Of course this is great news for offshore oil rigs. If you’re offshore, you’re probably living on that rig and you’re looking for something to do in your spare time. DIRECTV satellite TV brings you hundreds of channels of entertainment. One dish can supply the entire rig with service.

Internet? What internet?

The rig itself may have some sort of internet service so it can be connected to the main office. That certainly doesn’t mean that there will be enough bandwidth for everyone to stream Netflix on their offtime. Often times this connection is a point-to-point radio signal with an onshore partner, or a satellite internet connection. Either way it’s not going to supply a whole company with great service. This means streaming is out of the question.

I can imagine that in the past, people on oil rigs had to rely on shipments of books or video tapes in order to stay entertained. Today, you can get more entertainment than you can imagine. It just takes one satellite dish.

Where to get the best satellite service for an oil rig

If you’re in charge of an oil rig, you don’t want to be wasting your time. You have a lot to do. So, this one’s easy. Call the experts at Signal Connect, the corporate arm of Solid Signal. We have professionals who can design the perfect system for you. We can arrange for installation, too. Not only that we’ll get your satellite system activated easily and quickly.

It starts with a call to 888-233-7563 where our 100% US-based team is ready to help during East Coast business hours. If you’re reading this during your off time, just fill in the form below and one of our professional consultants will contact you. It usually takes about 24 hours.

Don’t be bored, and don’t try to rely on a skinny internet connection. Get the best entertainment on land, sea, and air right now from Signal Connect.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.