NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Confident coverage
Implementing private networks is a
major trend in mining, both surface and
underground, while direct partnerships
between mining groups and
networks/comms technology providers
are becoming more common, reports
Paul Moore
ncreasingly, mines are looking to have more
ownership over their networks for a variety of
reasons. In a 2015 blog, these were
summarised well by Cisco’s Ian Ross: “Private
LTE networks give the enterprise authority over
coverage (especially in remote areas), capacity
(for uplink/downlink and eliminating contention
with other network users), capability (leveraging
the full functionality of an LTE network rather
than a productised sub-set) and control (which
users connect, how resources are utilised and
how traffic is prioritised). Private LTE networks
are quickly becoming the future networking
platform for industrial enterprises with mission-
critical mobility needs.”
In a recent study entitled Private Networks for
the Mining Industry, ABI Research predicts that
over $2.9 billion, 1.5% out of total mining capex,
will be spent by the mining sector on private
networks by 2022, led by demand for wireless
broadband technology, such as private LTE and
Wi-Fi mesh. These wireless technologies
support driverless trucks, trains and drills in
mines, introducing cost efficiency and
operational safety, while making modern mines
safer, smarter, and more autonomous.
The report summary states: “Recovering from
low commodity pricing hits over the past two
years, investment sentiment will likely trend
upward in 2019. Substantial greenfield
telecommunication investment will go into
private LTE and Wi-Fi mesh networks. Between
the two technologies, private LTE is set to see
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28 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2017
greater adoption. Economies of scale through
3GPP standardisations and advancement in LTE
hardware and software technologies continues
to make LTE technology more powerful and cost
friendly.”
“Mining companies are the actual pioneers
when it comes to autonomous vehicles and
private LTE network deployments,” says Lian Jye
Su, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. “BHP,
Fortescue, and Rio Tinto are currently running
autonomous haulage and drilling in their iron
ore mines. We believe the mining sector will be
aggressive in deploying wireless technologies
and this deserves the attention of LTE vendors
and service providers. Diminishing revenue from
consumer market forces LTE vendors and
operators to explore business opportunities in
other sectors such as mining. Aside from
connectivity, they can offer value-added
services, such as big data analytics, network
security, and edge computing.”
While most technology decisions in the
mining vertical are based on cost analysis,
private LTE and edge computing may enhance
several aspects of mining operations that
companies may find very valuable. Running on
private LTE, mining companies can enjoy wide
coverage, carrier-grade resilience, high data
throughput and remote control and monitoring.
“Despite technological advancements, private
LTE and Wi-Fi mesh networks are still being
deployed predominantly in surface mining,”
concludes Su. “Underground mining will be the
Looking at Barrick specifically, Cisco states that
there are so many potential digital
transformation projects that have been
identified that it’s been a matter of, not so
much coming up with ideas, but prioritising
them to see which ones to tackle first
next battleground for these wireless broadband
technologies. Whichever technology is able to
become technologically and commercially viable
for underground mining will likely become the
mainstream technology in this mining sector.”
Evolution versus revolution
It is also worth noting that a lot of today’s
mining investment is in existing operations
rather than greenfield and to some extent this
creates a dilemma in terms of network strategy.
In a recent article on Telstra’s IN:SIGHT online
publication, Jeannette McGill, Head of Mining
Services comments: “With the volatility and
variability of the health of the global minerals
market, Australia’s miners are embracing the
challenge of modernising their communications
technology infrastructure to drive efficiency and
productivity, but are struggling with a choice
common to every industry: to slowly upgrade
their existing infrastructure or replace it
entirely.”
Today’s mines are challenged by an array of
disparate technologies deployed in parallel with
one another and nowhere is this more apparent
than with wireless communication. “Modern,
streamlined wireless technology would allow