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Enabling a Reliable and Efficient Communication Infrastructure for the Indian Mining Industry

June 6, 2023 71 0 5G

Enabling a Reliable and Efficient Communication Infrastructure for the Indian Mining Industry

The Indian mining industry has long been in need of a reliable, high-bandwidth, and ultra-low latency communication infrastructure. In the face of growing geopolitical tensions where mineral resources have become a focal point for conflicts, it is imperative for India to address this need.

This whitepaper outlines the major drivers behind the need for such a communication infrastructure and explores the potential of private 5G networks as a comprehensive solution. Additionally, it provides a step-by-step approach for the adoption of private 5G networks in the Indian mining industry, highlighting their numerous benefits and potential applications.

Challenges
This section highlights the major factors behind the need for a robust communication system that would be a key enabler for the digitization of the mines.


1. Remote locations: Many mining sites in India are located in remote areas where access to essential infrastructure and resources is limited. Good connectivity solutions, such as high-speed internet, time sensitive communication and reliable mobile networks, can help bridge this gap by enabling real-time data exchange between different stakeholders involved in mining operations.

2. Safety: Mining is a hazardous industry that involves several risks to the safety of workers. Good connectivity solutions can help improve safety by enabling real-time monitoring of mining operations, providing access to emergency services in case of accidents, and facilitating quick communication between workers, supervisors and management.

3. Efficiency: Mining operations involve complex processes that require coordination between different teams and departments. Good connectivity solutions will improve efficiency by enabling seamless communication, data sharing, and collaboration between different stakeholders involved in mining operations.

4. Resource Optimization: Seamless communication will optimize the use of resources such as fuel, machinery and personnel. By enabling real-time monitoring and data analysis, mining companies can identify inefficiencies and take corrective action quickly, leading to significant cost savings.

5. Compliance: The mining industry is subject to several regulations and compliance requirements. Good connectivity solutions can help mining companies comply with these regulations by enabling real-time monitoring of environmental impacts, worker safety and other factors that impact compliance.

Current Communication Landscape
An examination of multiple mines in India reveals a reliance on various communication channels, such as two-way radio systems, wireless mesh networks, fibre optics, satellite communications, WIFI, LoRa and more. However, none of these systems provide a comprehensive solution to meet the growing communication needs of the mining industry.

Private 5G Networks
Private 5G networks offer immense potential for addressing the communication challenges in the mining industry. While India is yet to demonstrate a successful pilot, the effectiveness of private 5G networks has been proven in various parts of the world. Multiple mines, such as China Molybdenum, Boliden, LKAB, and K+S has done successful implementations of Private 5G networks, and showcasing its benefits in remote equipment control, real-time monitoring, autonomous mining operation, video surveillance and safety applications.

Adopting Private 5G for Indian Mining
Although cost and spectrum management complexities pose challenges, a comprehensive solution can be achieved by integrating 5G communication infrastructure, customized data acquisition units (DAW), AI/ML analytics, and edge/cloud platforms. The paper emphasizes the need for a private 5G network to create horizontal and vertical solutions tailored to Mining 4.0 requirements.


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Private 5G Networks as a Service (5GaaS), Niral Networks aims to democratize 5G and Edge networking infrastructure by providing 5G infrastructure as a service for last mile connectivity in Enterprise, Defense, Rural, Agriculture, Mining, etc. using open and disaggregated Network Operating System called NiralOS™ integrated with COTS hardware. Niral Networks collaborates with its customer to reduce the risk of Vendor lock-in. The only way to reduce proprietary vendor lock-in of network infrastructure is to embrace open standard, open hardware and open source. NiralOS™ is curated over the open source software and it helps customers transform from being Vendor Controlled to being Vendor Agnostic enabling faster innovation, better collaboration, enhance security and lower cost.



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