Nokia has deployed an industrial-grade private wireless network in a copper mine in Chile, which it says will allow the mining group to accelerate its digital transformation. Characteristics of the private network, high capacity and low latency, allow the mining company to safely operate autonomous vehicles and connect multitudes of sensors. The global smart mining market was valued at $23.46 billion in 2019, and is anticipated to grow more than 16.30 percent from 2020 to 2027, according to Shibuya Data Count, an industry analyst.
“Digital transformation and automation can deliver big rewards for mining companies,” Mining Magazine reported. “Advances in the industrial internet of things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented and virtual reality make it possible to optimize decision making, track assets and monitor people to ensure safe conditions across the entire mining process in open pit and underground mines.”
Nokia’s network will support the Chilean mining company’s array of operations as part of a five-year digitalization plan, which aims to transform the mining sector while enabling safer and more efficient operations.
Nokia designed and deployed the industrial-grade private 4.9G/LTE solution, including Nokia AirScale radio equipment, mobile packet core, IP/multi-protocol label switching service aggregation routers, and Wavence microwave transmission. Nokia currently has more than 420 private wireless enterprise customers globally, including over 35 mining customers in more than 60 mines.
Aitik, Sweden’s largest copper open-pit mine, operated by Boliden, is also implementing a digitalization strategy. Boliden is using Ericsson’s equipment to connect to Komatsu’s FrontRunner autonomous haulage system and electric drive trucks at Aitik. In the works for two years, this automation will increase overall productivity, decrease cost per ton and optimize asset utilization, all while improving safety, according to Ericsson.
Biliden’s digital strategy allows real-time data collection allowing the operator to closely monitor the state of equipment in the mine as well as productivity, which can add up to substantial savings on operating costs. Aitik’s system is LTE, but there is an option for a migration to 5G in the future.
Smart mining operations are projected to increase threefold until 2025, which means LTE and 5G networks will need to be in place, according to Nokia. Safety is a key consideration when identifying initiatives for transformation, according to an IDC infobrief, and sustainability tops miners’ strategic objectives, with 86 percent of mining companies planning to invest in wireless infrastructure in the next 18 months.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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