Nokia 5G
standalone private wireless network to support Industry 4.0 adoption at Agnico
Eagle Finland mining operations
- Operational 5G standalone
(5G SA) network to support above and below ground mining operations for
Kittilämine, the largest primary gold producer in
Europe
- Network to deliver superior
coverage, reliability, security and low latency to continue digital transformation
- Supports connectivity of
people, equipment, sensors, devices and vehicles, at depths of up to one
kilometer across the mine’s extensive tunnel system
Nokia announced it is working with mobile operator Telia, and its
partner Digita, to deliver a 5G SA private wireless network for Agnico Eagle
Finland Oy that operates the Kittilä mine in northern Finland. The network will
support advanced Industry 4.0 use cases at the mine to accelerate its digital
transformation.
The Kittilä mine is the largest
primary gold producer in Europe and is located 900 km
north of Helsinki, and 150 km north of the Arctic circle in the Lapland
region of northern Finland.
The Nokia 5G SA network will support both above and below-ground
operations, reaching depths of up to one kilometer. It will cover an extensive
tunnel system to connect people, equipment, sensors, devices and vehicles
leveraging the low latency capabilities of 5G.
The Kittilä mine will benefit from real-time data processing at the
network edge, supporting important business Industry 4.0 use cases, such as
autonomous vehicles, high-precision positioning and group communications, to
further enhance operational reliability, safety and quality.
Tommi Kankkunen, General Manager of the Kittilä mine, said: “Having already piloted
autonomous and remotely controlled machinery in recent years, we chose to work
with Nokia, Telia and Digita to deliver capabilities for the next phase of our
digital transformation journey. We want to innovate by using the latest
technologies and will leverage the Nokia 5G SA private network to enhance
operational efficiency and support the highest level of safety for teams
working at the mine.”
The Nokia 5G SA private wireless network, based on the Nokia Modular Private Wireless (MPW) solution, will incorporate Nokia 5G RAN AirScale base station
technology and critical edge computing capabilities, together with the Nokia
Compact Mobility Unit-based 5G core. The network will be deployed in phases and
is expected to be completed in October 2022.
Jari Collin, Chief Technology Officer, Telia Finland, said: “We are excited to be a part of
this project for Agnico Eagle, providing high-performance 5G to transform
operations at the Kittilä mine. This deployment continues our work with Nokia
and Digita to deliver 5G SA private wireless networks in Finland to support the
growing digital economy in the country.”
Stephan Litjens, Head
of Enterprise Solutions at Nokia, said: “This is another great example of how
collaboration across the ecosystem is essential for developing winning
technology solutions to meet productivity, safety and sustainability targets.
We are pleased to work with Telia and Digita to deliver our leading 5G
standalone private wireless technology and enable new Industry 4.0 use cases
for the Kittilä Mine. Nokia industrial private wireless networks provide
secure, reliable connectivity to meet the stringent operational demands of
today’s mining industry, and 5G enables even greater levels of performance.””
Nokia industrial-grade private
wireless technology can be deployed in the most remote locations, making it
ideally suited for the digital transformation of mining facilities. Mine owners
can take advantage of Industry 4.0 applications that enable new levels of
automation to better manage fluctuations in demand, while enhancing
productivity, operational efficiency and workforce safety. Nokia currently has more than 380 enterprise customers of
industrial-grade wireless private networks globally, including more than 35
mining customers.
Source: Nokia media announcement
