Newmont expands 5G usage to improve mine safety

Newmont Corporation (ASX:NEM) is expanding its use of next generation 5G wireless networks to improve safety in underground mining, following trial results from its Cadia Mine in New South Wales.

The $81.72 billion market capitalisation company will use 5G to roll out more autonomous fleets, including drill rigs, graders, and auto haul trucks, as part of future mining operations, relying on 5G’s unique capacity and capability to facilitate and streamline operational capabilities.

It will also deploy further safety systems, including radars and collision avoidance to improve overall mine safety systems.

Chief Safety and Sustainability Officer Suzy Retallack says the results show the potential of 5G to improve safety, increase the number of machines that can be operated on a single network and boost production efficiencies in underground mining.

“These trials are part of the new frontier of technology in mining — using innovation to make our people safer and our mines more productive,” Retallack says.

In February 2023, Newmont announced the trial of 5G in partnership with Ericsson and Telstra Purple at the Cadia Mine.

Before the trial, Cadia was limited to upload speeds of 20-30 megabits per second, using wifi to operate autonomous equipment, including ore loaders and remote-controlled mining machines.

Newmont says the wifi connections were considered unreliable and unpredictable when under load. Due to network packet loss, there was insufficient capacity to operate the required number of machines in the one area at the same time and automation safety stops were regularly falsely triggered.

Using Ericsson Private 5G, Newmont showed the ability to achieve upload speeds of 90 megabits per second along access drives and declines throughout the underground complex, and 150 megabits per second upload and 500 megabits per second download on all-important extraction drives.

Ericsson Head of Private Cellular Networks Manish Tiwari says 5G enables rapid global transformation of industry, supports digitalisation and movement towards automated, more efficient, and safer operations across several sectors.

“Ericsson is proud to be partnering with Newmont on demonstrating the potential of 5G to the global mining sector,” Tiwari says.

Newmont is using technology to make workers safer while also improving efficiency. On the basis of the trial, 5G has a firm place in Newmont’s communications strategies for Cadia and its other tier one underground and surface mines across the world.

The company is now planning to expand the use of 5G networks across its global network of tier one underground gold-copper mines.