MTS and Ericsson announce partnership to deploy a 5G-ready private network for Severstal

MTS will build for Karelsky Okatysh on the territory of quarries and production facilities in the Republic of Karelia a dedicated LTE / 5G-ready network for dispatching voice and video communication systems, positioning and video monitoring of transport and mining equipment, as well as emergency notification and operational management of the production complex.

The network is scheduled to launch in April 2022. For the second stage of the project, it is planned to modernize solutions for the automation of processes for the extraction, transportation and processing of ore, as well as solutions for the collection, processing, storage and visualization of data. 

The network will be built on the Ericsson Dedicated Networks solution, which includes the cloud-based packet core of the operator-class Ericsson network. For the first stage of the project, the network will operate in the LTE standard with the possibility of a smooth and fast upgrade to 5G.

Georgy Dzhabiev, Director, Digital Solutions, MTS, says: “Over the past two years, our company has implemented numerous pilot projects of dedicated networks together with leading enterprises in Russia, signed several contracts with customers and launched the country's first commercial dedicated network. Today we see a great demand for our solutions in the mining, metallurgical, energy and transport industries, since a reliable and high-speed dedicated network is the infrastructure basis for digitalization and automation of critical operations in large areas and in difficult terrain. A dedicated network being created for the Karelsky Okatysh plant will combine communication, monitoring and dispatching systems with the enterprise's IT infrastructure, which will improve the efficiency of managing the fleet of transport and mining equipment at the quarry, and in the future, automate a number of production processes”.

Vladimir Lyushenko, Head of Digital Technologies, Development of Iron Ore Assets department, Severstal, says: “Introduction of a dedicated LTE / 5G-ready network is an important and expected project for the Karelsky Okatysh site. The existing industrial Wi-Fi network in the quarries is working at the limit of its capabilities; the network does not meet the new requirements for the implementation of projects. In addition, at a mining enterprise, Wi-Fi technology loses to LTE / 5G-ready technologies in terms of network technical characteristics, obtaining additional services and overall investment efficiency. With the implementation of the LTE / 5G-ready network, we expect a significant improvement in the quality of dispatch control systems and optimization of the work of opencast transport, and as a result, an increase in production efficiency in open pits. The LTE / 5G-ready network will allow for more efficient implementation of projects in the field of industrial automation, video analytics and personnel location, as well as provide fast and secure data collection and voice transmission”.

Alexander Romanov, Director, Dedicated Networks, Ericsson Russia, says: “The mining sector is currently transforming into a high-tech industry that uses innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency in the ongoing pandemic, ensure people’s safety and improve environmental friendliness. Automated mine concept and mine dispatching solutions require advanced infrastructure for the most demanding scenarios, with high quality data security and efficient energy consumption. Various mobile access technologies have been tested at a global scale; the technology of dedicated LTE / 5G networks has proven its effectiveness and is widely used in the mining industry around the world”.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

MTS
Alexey Merkutov,
Media Relations Head
Aleksej.Merkutov@mts.ru
Mobile +79161413387

Ericsson
Tatyana Oberemova,
Head of Marketing & Communications, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Tatyana.Oberemova@ericsson.com
Mobile +79162600497

MORE INFORMATION AT:
Ericsson Newsroom
media.relations@ericsson.com  (+46 10 719 69 92)
investor.relations@ericsson.com  (+46 10 719 00 00)

ABOUT ERICSSON:
Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the business areas Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services and Emerging Business. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com

ABOUT MTS
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS” - NYSE: MBT; MOEX: MTSS), Russia’s leading mobile connectivity and digital services provider, offers a range of mobile, fixed-line, and digital services. We serve over 80 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Armenia, and Belarus, and about 9 million customers in Russia of fixed-line services, including fixed voice, broadband internet, and pay-TV. To keep pace with evolving customer demand, MTS is redefining what telecommunications services are by offering innovative products beyond its core network-related businesses in various tech segments, including Big Data, financial and banking services, internet of things, OTT, cloud computing, systems integration and e-commerce. We leverage our market-leading retail network as a platform for customer services and sales of devices and accessories. MTS maintains its leadership in the Russian mobile market in terms of revenue and profitability. MTS is majority-owned by Sistema PJSFC. Since 2000, MTS shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange and since 2003 - on the Moscow Exchange. For more information, please visit: www.ir.mts.ru.

Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “may” or “might,” and the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not undertake or intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including volatility in interest and exchange rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with telecommunications infrastructure, governmental regulation of the telecommunications industries and other risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.

ABOUT POLYMETAL
Polymetal International plc is a top-10 global gold producer and top-5 global silver producer with assets in Russia and Kazakhstan listed on the London Stock Exchange, Moscow Stock Exchange and Astana International Exchange. The company is a member of FTSE 100, FTSE Gold Mines and MSCI Russia. Polymetal has a portfolio of nine producing gold and silver mines and an impressive pipeline of future growth projects.

www.polymetalinternational.com/en