Smart mines have a private 5G connection

Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company Ericsson has launched Ericsson Private 5G, a next-generation private cellular 4G and 5G network tailored to drive the Industry 4.0 digital transformation.

The latest network features secure and simple 4G LTE and 5G standalone connectivity primarily targeting manufacturing, mining and process industry, offshore and power utilities, as well as ports and airports.

"With Ericsson Private 5G, we take the best of Ericsson's current portfolio and top it up with the best of our new technology. We do this to give businesses what they need to improve productivity, enable new offerings and give employees a better working environment," said Thomas Noren, head of dedicated networks, business area technologies and new businesses, Ericsson. "With Ericsson Private 5G, we also give operators a better way to serve business customers and leverage their assets – in short, to grow beyond mobile broadband."

Easily installed in hours at any facility and able to scale to support larger coverage areas with more devices and higher capacity, Ericsson Private 5G optimizes and simplifies business operations.

With cloud-based network management, keeping sensitive data on-site, zero downtime upgrades, and a guarantee of high performance through service-level agreements (SLAs), this product is designed to be flexible and will support a range of deployment sizes, depending on requirements, to suit varied needs.

Ericsson has already long developed a significant track record of operational 4G and 5G private network deployments with customers worldwide. Building on that success, Ericsson Private 5G utilizes the company's experienced solutions portfolio and deployment insights to further enhance the capabilities of Industry 4.0 digital, a fourth Industrial Revolution that leverages digital technologies for smart mining, manufacturing, and other industrial enterprises.

"Private 5G networks are highly attractive for producing companies because of the uncompromised performance that 5G can bring, allowing them to tackle the challenges of production," said Neils König, coordinator of the 5G-Industry Campus Europe at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology. "Efficiently deploying and using network solutions in enterprises requires simplicity in installation, flexibility in connecting to existing production IT and lean operations while at the same time being able to scale the network to meet future challenges. Ericsson Private 5G delivers exactly these capabilities."

Ericsson Private 5G builds upon its 4G and 5G radio and dual-mode core technology, enabling a wide variety of use cases for both indoor and outdoor environments while integrating well with business operations, devices, and applications.

You can read more about the framework of 5G and telecommunications technologies at 5G to enable next gen of industrial IoT in the April 15, 2020 edition of Metal Tech News.

Innovative use cases in mining include real-time condition monitoring, automation to improve mine efficiency and safety, precise and cost-effective remote-controlled drilling, unmanned drone inspections of dangerous or inaccessible areas, and smart ventilation control to boost efficiency while maintaining a safe underground working environment.

"Automation, and safety through automation in our mining operations is an absolute must for us," said Peter Burman, program manager mine automation, Boliden. "Ericsson Private 5G is exactly what Boliden needs to bring high quality, fast and secure connectivity into potentially hazardous environments allowing us to mobilize efficiency and safety improving cases."

For companies deeply entrenched in the transition to Industry 4.0 or those seeking to begin, Ericsson has provided an invaluable resource with its earlier publication of a comprehensive 35-page report – Connected Mining: a guide to smart mining transformation with private cellular technology – detailing key targets for businesses looking for the best place to start upgrading.

Furthermore, Ericsson introduced a companion solution to the report, the Smart Mining Value Calculator, a tool that can easily determine the viability of adopting new technologies and can show the cost and savings by employing just a single category outlined in the report.

You can read more in-depth information regarding Ericsson's mining report at Connecting mines to the digital world in the March 31, 2021 edition of Metal Tech News.

"With this new offering, Ericsson will be able to address key trends in the enterprise cellular market," said Leo Gergs, senior analyst, ABI Research. "The value proposition will appeal to operators and service providers as the solution hides technology complexity and therefore reduces the barrier of entry to deployment for many different flavors of enterprise networks."

With its mining report, calculator, and now the latest private 5G network, Ericsson has paved the way for companies to fully prepare for new-era smart mining and transition to a complete ecosystem of optimization and efficiency.