Newmont adopts Ericsson 5G for remote mine operations

Newmont has implemented Ericsson Private 5G technology at its Cadia gold-copper mine in Australia to facilitate teleremote dozing within its surface operations.

This deployment marks the first use of private 5G technology for controlling dozers remotely, addressing the challenges previously encountered with Wi-Fi-based systems. The increased coverage, capacity, and performance of the Ericsson Private 5G network promise enhanced machine productivity and improved safety for workers at the mine.

Prior to the introduction of the 5G system, Newmont faced significant limitations with Wi-Fi connectivity, where only two machines could be connected at distances of up to 100m before the network became unreliable, resulting in downtime that could extend for half of a 12-hour shift. These issues have been mitigated with the introduction of the 5G network.

The new 5G setup at the Cadia mine, one of Australia's largest underground mining sites, allows Newmont to expand its connectivity, covering the entire tailings works construction area. The system can connect multiple dozers over a distance of up to 2.5km using a single 5G radio while maintaining uplink throughput of up to 175Mbps, adequate for as many as 12 dozers if necessary. This reliable connectivity enables continuous production without interruptions caused by network instability.

Chris Twaddle, Newmont's Director of Process Control, Networks and Operational Cellular, noted, "Ericsson's Private 5G network gives us a scalable and high-performing solution that provides the coverage needed and keeps our people safe. It's also enabling our long-term digital transformation vision to use 5G for smart mining at our Tier One surface and underground mines globally."

The deployment incorporates Ericsson's 5G Antenna Integrated Radio with Massive MIMO (Multiple Input/Multiple Output) technology, which facilitates improved uplink connectivity required for remote dozing operations. The Ericsson Massive MIMO technology uses mid-band spectrum to provide greater uplink throughput at extended distances, effectively enhancing network capacity without needing additional infrastructure.

The Ericsson Uplink Booster, a feature integrated into Ericsson Silicon microprocessors, amplifies the uplink signal strength by tenfold, further enhancing performance in challenging conditions.

Manish Tiwari, Head of Enterprise 5G, Enterprise Wireless Solutions at Ericsson, remarked, "The deployment with Newmont at Cadia demonstrates the power of 5G for industry, where Ericsson's industry-leading radio portfolio can reduce the amount of infrastructure that needs to be deployed and operated to cover an industrial site or area. This also allows enterprises to use private 5G networks they own to achieve high levels of performance for advanced video-based control and computer vision initiatives without large amounts of spectrum. This is especially valuable to organisations that are operating in spectrum-constrained markets."