Predictable and scalable connectivity is the foundation of data-driven mining
Discover how Newmont, the world’s leading gold mining company, partnered with Ericsson to create a private cellular network architecture that powers its smart-mining initiatives worldwide. Ericsson’s solutions deliver the performance and reliability essential for digital mining.
Highlights
In a collaborative effort, Newmont is leveraging Ericsson private cellular networking solutions to enhance worker safety and operational efficiency across its global operations, including sites in Lihir, Papua New Guinea; Peñasquito, Mexico; and Cadia, New South Wales, Australia. Ericsson’s scalable private wireless network architecture delivers a comprehensive, whole-of-mine solution, meeting Newmont’s immediate needs while supporting its long-term digital transformation goals. Newmont aims to expand these deployments, bringing Ericsson Private 5G cellular networks across all of its Tier One mines worldwide.
“Smart mining significantly increases bandwidth and performance demands and requires an entirely new approach to networking. The Ericsson private cellular network has been a real game changer. It allows us to roll out more autonomous machines and helps us improve worker safety and increase production efficiencies above and below the surface.”
— Luis Canepari, Chief Information Officer, Newmont Corporation
The challenge
Conventional Wi-Fi networks cannot meet the increased performance, economics, and safety requirements of the modern mine.
- Performance limitations
Many Wi-Fi networks are unable to provide the deterministic connectivity and predictable performance required for smart mining. - Range and cost constraints
Wi-Fi access points have limited reach; large surface mines require multiple costly Wi-Fi trailers. - Safety concerns
Wi-Fi trailers are placed inside the active mining area, exposing workers to hazardous conditions. - Operational burdens
Reconfiguring Wi-Fi mesh networks and repositioning trailers is resource-intensive and disruptive.
The solution
The Ericsson private cellular network architecture eliminates the functional limitations and cost constraints of legacy Wi-Fi, providing predictable, high-throughput connectivity for production-critical workloads at surface mines and underground mines.
The solution includes
- Ericsson Private 4G radio networks
- Ericsson Private 4G and 5G core networks,
- Professional services from Ericsson and Ericsson systems integration partners.
The cellular network architecture lays the foundation for a variety of current and future smart-mining applications and technologies.
Solution Advantages
- Significantly greater capacity and throughput to satisfy increased traffic demands
- Predictable performance to support production-critical workloads
- Extended range to improve worker safety and expand coverage
- Superior economics with meaningfully lower TCO than Wi-Fi
- Increased mining productivity with continuous network availability
- Easy extendibility: single platform supports 4G and 5G
“When we installed the cellular network, all the network availability issues and operations disruptions went away. The network stays up during blasting, so we can quickly resume production.”
— Chris Twaddle, Director of Process Control Networks and Operational Cellular, Newmont Corporation
The result
Ericsson’s cellular network architecture has transformed Newmont’s operations, delivering expanded network capacity and coverage to support remotely controlled machines, autonomous vehicles, and intelligent applications. This collaboration helps Newmont boost production efficiency and safety, optimize business performance and maximize its technology investments in mining.
Enhancing worker safety at Lihir Island
On the geographically active and remote Lihir Island, Newmont significantly improved worker safety by relocating networking equipment and technicians out of the mine pit. This changed reduced exposure to extreme temperatures and hazardous gases, creating a safer worker environment.
Optimizing productivity at Peñasquito
At Peñasquito, a large open-pit mine, Newmont replaced dozens of movable Wi-Fi trailers with six strategically placed cellular radio towers. This streamlined setup ensures reliable, highly available connectivity across the entire site, enhancing operational efficiency and economics.
Expanding surface operations at Cadia
Newmont expanded network capacity and coverage at Cadia, one of Australia’s largest gold mines, to accommodate more vehicles across an extended surface area. The new private cellular network supports transportation routes more effectively and at a fraction of the cost of installing a new Wi-Fi network..
Breaking barriers underground at Cadia
In Cadia’s advanced underground mine, Newmont’s trial of Ericsson’s private network delivered remarkable performance improvements over traditional Wi-Fi. The enhanced connectivity supports autonomous equipment and smart applications, driving increased safety, higher productivity, and better overall business outcomes.
“The trial results show the extraordinary 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.”
— Luis Canepari, Chief Information Officer, Newmont Corporation
