The industrial-grade private 4.9G/LTE network is expected to enable Antofagasta Minerals to accelerate its digital transformation
Antofagasta’s copper mine in Chile deploys Nokia’s private wireless network. (Credit: ANTOFAGASTA MINERALS SA)
Nokia and Antofagasta Minerals have deployed a private wireless network to support secure and reliable operations at the latter’s Minera Centinela copper mine in Chile.
The industrial-grade network will enable Antofagasta Minerals to expedite its digital transformation, claimed Nokia.
The Finnish telecommunications firm designed and deployed the private 4.9G/LTE solution. The network includes Nokia AirScale radio equipment, IP/MPLS service aggregation routers, mobile packet core, as well as Wavence microwave transmission.
According to Nokia, the private wireless network offers the high capacity and low latency needed for enterprises like mining firms. It is said to help them securely and reliably connect a range of sensors, equipment, devices, and vehicles, above and underground.
The network is already in operation having been deployed in four months at the Minera Centinela mine. It is initially being used for connecting a fleet of autonomous trucks.
Nokia said that going forward, the private wireless network will support a broad range of operations under a five-year digitalisation plan.
The plan aims at transforming the mining sector, while facilitating safer and more efficient operations, said Nokia.
Antofagasta Minerals technology manager Gino Ivani said: “We are transforming the way mining is done. We want to deliver excellence in everything we do, leveraging operational efficiencies to achieve the best results.
“We are committed to sustainable mining and to providing the safest and most efficient facilities. We are very pleased to leverage Nokia industrial-grade private wireless solutions and its experience in mining automation to support our efforts.”
Nokia claimed that its industrial-grade private wireless networks can be installed in highly remote locations and harsh environments. These make them well suited for digitally transforming mining facilities, said the company.
The Finnish firm further stated that mine operators can leverage Industry 4.0 technology and applications that allow new levels of automation and autonomy for better management of fluctuations in demand, while boosting productivity, operational efficiency, sustainability, and safety of workforce.
Nokia Latin America enterprise head Marcelo Entreconti said: “Nokia industrial-grade private wireless delivers the robust, secure, predictable and deep wireless coverage that mines require for large outdoor areas or underground complexes.
“Deploying these networks is considered the first and most important step in the digitalisation journey of mining companies, and lays the groundwork for an expansion beyond connectivity where Nokia is already proposing solutions to the global mining community.”