Technology & equipment 10ms
The approximate network latency for 5G.
Forbes
Le Busque says 5G has the potential to deliver the high-speed connections needed to support a wide range of new applications that require more performance than 4G can deliver. “Over 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), network latency – the time it takes for a data packet to make a round trip between two points – was cut in half from 3G, with response times from 15ms to 60ms versus 120ms. That remains the industry benchmark. But over a 5G network, latency could drop to 10ms, making lag times nearly undetectable.”
Combine this speed with scale and automation, and the technology comes into its own: 5G can support up to one million devices per square kilometre. These capabilities were unthinkable in a 4G world. “The shift from 4G to 5G is massive,” Le Busque says.
Wide bandwidth and wide-ranging benefits
Morgan Rody is the senior project manager for automation and interoperability at the technology and digital division of equipment and infrastructure specialists Epiroc. He says 5G – working in tandem with automation – could revolutionise mining on a number of fronts. “Fewer human workers underground always equals increased safety. As autonomy gains traction and proves to safely increase production, we will see fewer human workers in the underground environments and this will be a direct result of the inclusion of 5G,” says Rody. “This is not to say autonomy can’t happen without 5G, but for it to happen at scale, there needs to be more bandwidth available with increased reliability. A handful of machines can be successfully autonomous today using 4G or Wi-Fi, but if we are to increase that to a fleet of 20, 50 or more machines, 5G will be a vital component in that journey.”
Rody notes that the technology will also enable control rooms to move above ground. “Again, this is already happening today, but larger and more centralised control rooms – perhaps connected to and controlling a number of mine production sites globally – will become the new normal.” Le Busque says 5G is the ideal technology to drive automation forward. “In its most basic sense, a simple boost in wireless speed and bandwidth improves responsiveness,” he explains. “Many machine-focused applications require a high level of integration and interaction between individual devices and controllers or servers. The amount of data that must be transferred and aggregated to support real-time machine applications – such as industrial automation and autonomous vehicles – is enormous. As these application ecosystems evolve, it is likely that they will become even more hungry for bandwidth to deliver improved business outcomes.” Rody also flags the arrival of large-scale audio-visual technology. HD video, for example, could be
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transmitted from mining machines to control rooms with zero lag. “By creating communication ‘lanes’ you can split video, telematics data, near real-time data and command critical data, creating an efficient network where the ‘lanes’ cannot interfere with one another,” he says. This increased visibility and separation will further enhance safe and successful automation. Le Busque points out that there are also significant benefits in terms of security. “5G itself doesn’t introduce new risks; it is simply a means of transporting internet protocol (IP) traffic,” he says. “One of the big differences with 5G is that a lot of the learnings from 3G and 4G when it came to security have been embedded into 5G architecture.” The standard – created by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) – is centred on security. New capabilities and architecture concepts have been built into 3GPP and subsequently used for 5G to help safeguard network transport. 5G also enables Zero Trust, a concept that ensures no component of the network can execute an action or transmit data to another entity without authentication and authorisation. “Additionally, 5G incorporates comprehensive encryption standards and encryption methodologies, so data is secured and encrypted in transit,” says Le Busque.
Companies will also be able to use 5G to improve efficiencies. Le Busque says real-time data will be more readily available via mobile apps to facilitate predictive maintenance and cut equipment downtime. Improved connectivity and better data processing power across more devices will pave the way for more responsive supply chains that have greater visibility of production. Helping companies reduce their carbon footprint is another positive benefit. “Mining sites can manage energy and control emissions by monitoring heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems, reduce unnecessary use and provide timely maintenance,” says Le Busque.
Local and national infrastructure Rody says some mining operators will be better placed to benefit from the technology than others, given the variance in local infrastructure standards. Cooperation and collaboration between the industry, governments and telecoms companies at a local level will be vital to a successful rollout. “Any wireless network requires a number of access points or towers – or a mixture of both – and these need to be placed throughout the target environment so they offer the best coverage,” he says. “We are seeing that the host country can provide the 5G network to the mine site and then it is up to the mine to supply the remaining infrastructure. So here we see a mix of host country public and private mine infrastructures working together. This is quite new in the mining industry and more telecoms operators are starting to see the opportunities here. Their participation in this is important.”
World Mining Frontiers /
www.nsenergybusiness.com
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