MINING NETWORKS & CONNECTIVITY
Always on
Mining network
technology is moving
fast, now with a lot of
private LTE interest and
with 5G waiting in the wings,
while WiFi solutions including mesh
still remain dominant. Paul Moore looks
at technologies, projects and
applications
While 802.11 WiFi solutions, including
wireless mesh, will remain the
backbone of mining networks for the
foreseeable future, the LTE & 5G market in
mining has been moving quickly – both through
technology providers working with mines directly
but also coming up with solutions for mining
equipment OEMs. A good example of this was
Nokia’s recent announcement that Sandvik
Mining and Rock Technology will deploy a Nokia
5G SA industrial-grade private wireless network
at its test mine in Tampere, Finland. Based on
Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), the 5G
standalone (SA) network will be used to enhance
communications and connectivity at the facility, a
real-life mining environment where Sandvik
Mining and Rock Technology tests, develops and
prototypes mining solutions for its customers
worldwide.
The network will enable fast, reliable and
secure voice and video communications in a
mining setting, which presents highly challenging
deployment conditions. Its 5G capability will also
be used for automated mining processes,
enabling remote machine operations over 4K
video links between deep underground and the
surface control centre.
Patrick Murphy, President, Rock Drills and
Technologies, Sandvik Mining and Rock
Technology said: “By deploying a Nokia 5G SA
private wireless network with Nokia Digital
Automation Cloud, we can trial and showcase an
entirely new range of game-changing products
and capabilities here in our Tampere test mine.
As we work with our customers to help them
leverage technology to digitalise their operations,
the introduction of 5G opens the door to new
opportunities in robotics, remote and
autonomous operations, full-fleet automation,
analytics and enhanced safety. As such, it
comprises a breakthrough in the digital
transformation of mining.”
Stephan Litjens, General Manager, Nokia
Digital Automation Cloud said: “It’s an honour to
work with a world-class company such as
Sandvik on leading-edge digital automation
solutions for the mining industry. With 5G SA, its
high speed, low latency performance, and edge
computing the next steps on this journey can be
taken.
Private LTE has reached the most far flung
mines - Baffinland is using a Redline network at
its Mary River operations in Baffin Island, Arctic
Canada
“Through our plug-and-play Nokia DAC
platform we’re supporting Sandvik to realise not
only its own digital transformation goals, but also
those of the wider industry as it continues to
deliver value to mining customers worldwide.”
Scalable according to needs, Nokia Digital
Automation Cloud (DAC) is an industrial-grade
digital automation service platform that provides
a reliable, secure, and high-performance private
wireless network. A compact, plug-and-play
Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is deploying a Nokia 5G SA industrial-grade private wireless
network at its test mine in Tampere, Finland
24 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2020