Broadpoint LLC ran an offshore 2G/GSM cellular network for the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico, with about 50 base stations on rigs and platforms. On July 21, 2015, Tampnet Inc. announced it would acquire Broadpoint and upgrade the network to 4G/LTE.
Broadpoint was acquired
On July 21, 2015, Tampnet Inc., the US arm of Norway’s Tampnet AS, agreed to acquire Broadpoint LLC. The deal covered Broadpoint’s 2G/GSM network of about 50 base stations on Gulf of Mexico rigs and platforms, plus frequency licenses and roaming services. Closing was expected in late 2015 or early 2016, subject to FCC approval. The sources we read do not confirm the closing date.
If you had a Broadpoint line
Broadpoint mainly sold roaming to other carriers, whose customers used its towers offshore. Tampnet said it would serve the oil and gas industry, resellers and roaming partners on a 4G/LTE network, and signed a long-term roaming deal with an unnamed carrier. The sources do not say what happened to individual accounts. For an old number, ask the carrier that billed you.
The 2015 sources announce the deal but do not confirm when it closed.
How Broadpoint ended
- July 21, 2015: Tampnet Inc. announces it will acquire Broadpoint LLC, its licenses and roaming services, and signs a long-term roaming deal with an unnamed carrier.
- Late 2015 to early 2016: Expected closing date, subject to FCC approval.
Why Broadpoint ended
Broadpoint’s network was 2G/GSM, built for voice and basic data on offshore platforms. Tampnet already ran a large 4G/LTE network for oil and gas operators in the North Sea and served more than 240 platforms, FPSOs and rigs. It bought Broadpoint to extend that model to the Gulf of Mexico, with plans to replace the 2G network with Gulf-wide 4G/LTE coverage.
How to find who holds an old number now
- Check an old bill or payment record. It names the company that billed you last.
- Run the number through a carrier lookup tool. It shows the carrier that holds the number today.
- Call that carrier and ask for the account number and transfer PIN.
- Start the port from the new carrier. Never cancel the old line first.
Your right to keep a number
Number portability is federal law, not a carrier policy. The rule is the FCC’s: Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers.
How we verified Broadpoint
BestCellular.com tracks active carriers and defunct ones. We keep both, because people still search for brands that no longer exist. Every fact on this page comes from the sources listed below, and we leave a detail out when no source states it. Where sources disagree, this page says so. If you can document a correction, tell us and we will check it against the sources.
Tracked and active are different counts on this site. Broadpoint counts in our tracked total, not in our active total, so it does not appear in tools built for live carriers.
Questions about Broadpoint
Is Broadpoint still available?
Not as Broadpoint. Tampnet Inc. agreed to acquire Broadpoint LLC on July 21, 2015, and planned to run the Gulf of Mexico offshore network under its own operation with a 4G/LTE upgrade.
Which network did Broadpoint use?
Its own. Broadpoint owned and operated a 2G/GSM network of about 50 base stations on oil and gas rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and held telecom frequency licenses.
What happened to Broadpoint customers?
The sources do not say. Broadpoint sold roaming to carriers serving offshore users. Tampnet said it would serve the oil and gas industry, resellers and roaming partners, and signed a long-term roaming deal with an unnamed carrier.
Who is Tampnet?
Tampnet Inc. is the US subsidiary of Norway’s Tampnet AS, an offshore communications provider owned by EQT Infrastructure funds since 2012. In 2015 it served more than 240 platforms, FPSOs and rigs in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026.
- SubTel Forum: Tampnet to acquire telecom infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico from Broadpoint: July 21, 2015. Deal announced; closing expected late 2015 or early 2016, subject to FCC approval.
- Offshore Energy: Tampnet takes over Broadpoint’s telecom infrastructure in Gulf of Mexico: 2015. Broadpoint ran a 2G/GSM network of about 50 base stations; Tampnet agreed to acquire it and upgrade to 4G/LTE.
Best Cellular. “Broadpoint: What Happened,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/broadpoint/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset. All defunct carriers are listed on carriers that shut down.