Sponsored by Ericsson – Driving oil and gas forward with seamless connectivity.

This episode of Digital Doers features Casey Thames sitting down with Sameer Shah, Lead Telecommunication Engineer at Bechtel, for a conversation about the critical infrastructure that powers modern energy facilities but often goes unnoticed: telecommunications.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience supporting LNG, petrochemical, refining, and industrial projects around the world, Sameer shares how communications systems have evolved from isolated, analog networks into the digital backbone of today’s connected operations. The discussion explores how improved connectivity has transformed the way operators, technicians, and engineers access information, make decisions, and safely manage increasingly complex facilities.

Rather than focusing solely on technology, Casey and Sameer examine the real-world impact these advancements have had on the workforce. From replacing clipboards and paper documentation with connected mobile devices to enabling real-time access to engineering drawings, data, and operational information from anywhere in a facility, the conversation highlights how connectivity has fundamentally changed the way work gets done.

The episode also explores the challenges of delivering telecommunications infrastructure across multi-billion-dollar energy projects. Sameer shares lessons learned from working on some of the world’s largest LNG and petrochemical developments, discussing the importance of standardization, interface management, and collaboration across engineering disciplines to successfully execute projects at scale.

As the conversation looks toward the future, Casey and Sameer discuss emerging technologies such as private LTE, 5G, fiber networks, and low-earth-orbit satellite communications, and how these tools could further improve reliability, reduce installation complexity, and expand connectivity across industrial environments.

As with many conversations on Digital Doers, the discussion extends beyond technology itself and focuses on the people using it. Whether improving safety, enabling better decisions, or helping teams operate more effectively, the episode explores how connectivity has become one of the foundational elements of modern energy infrastructure.

Host

Casey Thames
Host, Digital Doers

Guest

Sameer Shah
Lead Telecommunication Engineer, Bechtel

Website: https://www.bechtel.com

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