Tag Archives: Telstra Purple

Newcrest, Ericsson and Telstra Purple to trial 4G LTE and 5G tech at Cadia

Base metals, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newcrest Mining will trial advanced 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G mobile technologies underground at its Cadia mine, in New South Wales, Australia, to assess the potential of cellular delivery of data and video to support a smarter, safer and more sustainable mine, it says.

In partnership with Ericsson and Telstra Purple, Newcrest will deploy a private 4G LTE and 5G trial network in its underground operations at Cadia in the coming months. This announcement follows previous engagements where the trio worked to improve communications coverage, performance and safety with private 4G LTE at its Lihir mine in Papua New Guinea, and more recently for surface operations at the Cadia Valley Operations (CVO).

Speaking at the Sweden-Australia Sustainable Mining Summit in Sydney, Australia, today, CVO General Manager, Aaron Brannigan, said modern mining is a data-driven business, with technology and digitalisation creating new levels of productivity and safety, greater efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

“In the ongoing quest for productivity, efficiency and safety, Newcrest must use every tool at our disposal to boost performance at site while continuing to ensure that everyone at our mines gets home safely at the end of the day,” he said. “With 4G and 5G mobile technologies potentially offering better performance and capabilities than Wi-Fi, this trial will help Newcrest to assess its viability for greater coverage, capacity and functionality to support advanced underground automation, our Connected Worker strategy and future growth at Cadia.

“It’s an exciting time for Newcrest and for Australian mining, and this is a great practical example of how Australia’s biggest industry can leverage Australia’s position as a global 5G leader to further drive digitalisation in the mining sector and help develop a smart, safer and more sustainable mine.”

The trial will use Ericsson’s Private 5G (EP5G) solution for Industry 4.0 enterprises to assess different cellular approaches for coverage and capacity needs and deployment economics. It will include the use of various 4G and 5G radio types, massive- and multi-user MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) advanced antenna systems for high density and high capacity connectivity requirements, and Uplink Booster technology derived from custom-made Ericsson Silicon system-on-a-chip 5G processors to increase uplink signal strength and data throughput, Newcrest explained.

Ericsson’s Head of Australia and New Zealand, Emilio Romeo, said: “5G connectivity will be instrumental in enabling advanced teleremote and autonomous technologies, which are integral to industries such as mining. We’re delighted to be working with Newcrest and Telstra Purple to trial Ericsson’s 4G LTE and 5G solutions, and enable Newcrest to develop know-how on how to best deploy them underground.”

Telstra Purple Digital Transformation Executive, Paul Nicholls, said: “We’ve been thrilled to see what our 4G LTE and 5G mobile network technologies have been able to do through this project, from supporting wireless mining applications underground, to boosting safety for the local team. These technologies are absolutely transformative for a broad range of industries, and it’s exciting to be part of industry 4.0 innovation in Australia.”

Aqura Technologies to deliver Private 4G network at Port Hedland

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Aqura Technologies, a Telstra Purple company, says it will design and deliver an advanced Private 4G network for the Port Hedland-based operation of Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA).

The new standalone broadband network will support PPA’s extensive marine digital platforms, enhance worker mobility and provide seafarers with independent high-speed connectivity when visiting the Port of Port Hedland, it said. Port Hedland is a major export facility for the big iron ore producers in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

Aqura Chief Operations Officer, Alan Seery, said: “The solution Aqura has designed blends the best in operational network capability with enhanced user experience, accessible across the extensive Port of Port Hedland operations and out to sea.

“Our installation of Private 4G at the Port of Port Hedland will leverage the expanded capabilities of Private 4G that will assist the PPA in driving safety, productivity and efficiency initiatives.

“The communications network, upgradeable to 5G as technology advances, also offers more control and flexibility to support Industry 4.0 use cases and other technologies such as IoT.”

Private 4G requires the delivery of several prioritised services for a range of different end-use cases. The network leverages the embedded Quality of Service capability and high throughput of 4G and is dimensioned to ensure the extensive marine sensors network that PPA uses has reliable and robust connectivity for the safe passage of vessels through challenging waterways in the area.

The private network will also enable PPA staff to access their corporate and operational systems reliably and securely from anywhere across their extensive port operations, which enhances productivity and improves access to digital safety systems and procedures, Aqura says.

To ensure the wellbeing and welfare of seafarers is enhanced while being restricted to their vessels at berth or at anchor, Aqura will leverage its Complete Access Network platform to deliver a secure, user-friendly service, it added.

The project has kicked off with the network planned to be live by the end of 2022.

Telstra Purple adds Alliance Automation, Aqura to expanding IoT base

Automation, Communications in mining, IoT, Mining mergers and acquisitions, , , , , , ,

Telstra Purple, which brings together Telstra Enterprise’s business technology services capabilities and a number of its recently acquired companies, has announced a plan to acquire two Australia-based companies with mining exposure to bolster its IoT capabilities and accelerate its industry vertical growth ambitions.

Alliance Automation is, Telstra says, one of Australia’s largest independent providers of IoT industrial automation solutions and control systems. Founded in 2010, it is headquartered in Brisbane with several offices around Australia staffed by more than 250 engineers and consultants. It provides services in technical advisory and design, electrical and automation engineering, project management, site installation, business intelligence, operational technology cyber security and continuous support.

Aqura Technologies delivers key technology and telecommunications infrastructure solutions including industrial wireless, complete access networks, unified communications and industrial IoT. A wholly owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Veris, Aqura Technologies has more than 90 staff across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne as well as a fly-in-fly-out workforce that services all parts of Australia.

Following the acquisitions, Telstra Purple will be able to offer professional and managed services capabilities to deliver industrial-grade wireless and fixed networks in remote and underground operations (Aqura Technologies), while expanding the potential for digital transformation services, industrial automation capabilities, digital twins, smart spaces and operational technology cyber security (Alliance Automation), it said.

These acquisitions will bolster Telstra Purple’s presence across mining, energy, oil and gas, utilities and defence projects, and increase its automation and digital transformation engagements, according to the company.

Head of Telstra Purple, Christopher Smith, said the deals were testament to Telstra Purple’s successful growth strategy.

“As our 10th and 11th acquisitions, Alliance Automation and Aqura Technologies will accelerate Telstra Purple’s growth, particularly in IoT, cloud and security, across key industry verticals, which are important building blocks of our T25 strategy,” Smith said.

“Both companies have demonstrated consistent historical growth, close customer and vendor relationships, backed up by a deep pool of specialist talent with a strong pipeline and growth outlook. We were impressed by their people, expertise and capabilities and believe they will be very valuable additions to the Telstra Purple team.”

Managing Director and CEO of Alliance Automation, Matthew Griffiths, said: “The opportunities that arise out of our complementary capabilities, but shared customer and employee centric services base will enable us to jointly provide world class digital transformation strategies to improve operational efficiencies for all our customers.

“Joining Telstra Purple will provide unparalleled value propositions for both our employees and our customers, taking Alliance Automation to the next level of technical capability and accelerating our push toward Industry 4.0 excellence for all of our customers.”

CEO of Aqura Technologies, Travis Young, said: “Our specialist capabilities, coupled with the highly complementary service offerings of the broader Telstra Purple family will deliver more powerful and compelling solutions.

“We can now more rapidly accelerate our growth to meet the significant demand of organisations who are looking to leverage next-generation connectivity as part of their broader digitisation strategies.”

Alliance Automation has the likes of Evolution Mining and Bloomfield Group on its mining project reference list, while Aqura is working with Fortescue Metals Group, BHP and Roy Hill, among others, in the mining sector. Aqura is also taking part in the government-backed 5G Innovation Initiative.