Private networks for mines a priority for Nokia, Ericsson

HANNOVER, Germany–Based on conversations with executives from network infrastructure vendors Nokia and Ericsson during the Hannover Messe industrial fair, both companies see the mining industry as a huge opportunity for driving private network sales.So, of all the industrial verticals to pick from, why mining? Well, first, it’s a fundamental driver of global commerce–mining operations extract the raw materials manufacturers turn into the goods sold into other industries and also to consumers. In terms of quantifying the industry, PWC tallies global mining operations as having a market cap in 2018 of $926 billion with the majority of output coming from China, Russia and U.S. Ericsson’s’ Erik Josefsson, head of advanced industries, explained the company’s focus on factories, warehouses and mines. “Those are controlled environments. Mining is by nature a very interesting area because they have a problem with coverage. In the past they have started to put cabling in; it’s very inflexible. They are very eager to see the benefits of cellular. Mining is a very exciting area.” Josefsson said using connectivity to automate mining processes holds “significant value” for many reasons, but chief among them that it’s incredibly expensive to pump oxygen into mining environments. Safety is a primary driver of investments in mining automation. He explained that remote operators of mining equipment need “to have a fully immersed experience of what it’s like down in there,” including movement, haptic feedback and even smell.