In Siberia, deploying a network at the pace of the field
Exceptional Missions — Episode 2
This is not an AI-generated image. It is a mission that really happened.
Jean-Luc Larroque, a network engineer at CNS, spent almost two years helping deploy the infrastructure needed by the engineering teams on a large industrial project in the Russian Arctic. His last assignment there lasted three weeks.
Our exceptional missions are not new. This episode looks back at a project carried out several years ago, which has since been completed.
Over the course of the project, Jean-Luc worked at several sites in Europe and Asia. In this remote region of Siberia, the cold and logistical constraints made every deployment challenging. Equipment had to be prepared in advance, tight deadlines had to be met, and the realities on the ground had to be taken into account.
The mission at a glance
- The context: a large industrial project in a remote region of the Russian Arctic.
- The project: almost two years contributing to deployments across several international sites.
- The last assignment in Siberia: three weeks on site.
- His role: deploying the networks that enabled engineering teams to access their tools and work across different sites.
A network supporting engineering teams
Jean-Luc was not responsible for deploying the plant’s own network. His role was to ensure that the engineering teams preparing for its construction could access their tools, communicate between buildings and transfer data between the different sites.
He contributed to the sizing and cost estimates, then to the deployments. His scope covered LAN, Wi-Fi, telephony, inter-site connections and part of the local IT infrastructure.
Jean-Luc implemented and operated a range of network technologies and protocols: VSS architectures, VRFs, OSPF routing, wireless bridges and satellite links. The architectural choices had been made in advance, based on the project’s needs and the constraints at each site.
The challenge was to make complementary infrastructure work across several areas so that the teams could continue their engineering work.
Five days to deploy a site
Deployments took place across several countries. Each site had a tight deadline, and the equipment had to be ready before departure. Once on site, quickly obtaining a missing part or arranging a new delivery could be difficult.
“I had five days to deploy each site, anywhere in the world.”
That constraint made preparation essential: the equipment had to be checked to ensure it had arrived, matched the plan and was ready for deployment as soon as he got there.
Jean-Luc worked in China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Belgium, Moscow and Siberia. There was no shortage of unexpected setbacks. On one trip, a suitcase containing his tools was lost in transit. In Siberia, a blizzard prevented the plane from landing and delayed his return by four days.
Adapting to conditions on site
Temperatures could drop to –30°C, and there were only about four hours of daylight a day. Several teams were based at a shared camp. Jean-Luc worked with an English-speaking systems engineer; he was responsible for the network and telephony. For ToIP issues, he could call on the expertise of a CNS colleague remotely. Staying in touch with another colleague based in Malaysia also helped him remain connected to the team.
One morning, he discovered that the air conditioning in a technical room had stopped working overnight. The temperature inside had risen to around 40°C. He opened the window and used a piece of cardboard to keep wind-driven snow out. He then asked for the air conditioning to be repaired.
“After that, you adapt. That’s the reality on the ground.”
An experience that stays with you
The cold, the remoteness and the pace of work made this mission unique. For Jean-Luc, it also confirmed how important it is to prepare assignments, keep the client informed and meet the agreed deadlines.
Looking back, he remembers an experience that made a lasting impression because of its setting and intensity. He had already worked in demanding environments before this assignment; Siberia introduced him to conditions on an entirely different scale.
Exceptional Missions, a CNS series
Following the episode about Salia and her offshore assignment, this episode shares Jean-Luc’s account of a project completed several years ago. In the next episodes, other consultants will talk about their assignments, what they experienced on the ground and what they took away from them.
What if your next assignment took you somewhere out of the ordinary, too?