Ericsson mine mapping partner is HERE

Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company Ericsson, one of the first and leading providers of 5G, and HERE Technologies, a leading location data and technology platform, have teamed up to provide the global mining industry with custom mapping capabilities.

With the rapid mobilization of Industry 4.0 technologies and services, access to private cellular networks is a key driver to enabling safer, more productive, and more sustainable mining operations, through reliable and low latency connectivity.

"We look forward to increasing the productivity and safety of the mining industry by bringing location services to Ericsson's customers," said Gino Ferru, general manager of EMEAR (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Russia) and senior vice-president at HERE Technologies. "With our private mapping capabilities, we enable mining companies to unleash the power of their location data in many important use cases."

Based out of Eindhoven, Netherlands, HERE is a multinational group that deals with mapping, location data, and related automotive services to individuals and companies. It is majority-owned by a consortium of German automotive companies, namely Audi, BMW, and Daimler, as well as American semiconductor company Intel.

"We are partnering with HERE because of the breadth of their location services – ranging from mapping to routing, positioning and asset tracking," said Thomas Norén, head of dedicated network and vice-president at Ericsson.

Ericsson's high-performance 5G private networks are purpose-built for mining operations. With it, a business can deploy an on-premises cellular network for its exclusive use, i.e., an intranet.

For mining, this includes facilities in very remote areas and underground tunnels, both of which are not typically within public cellular range.

The combination of Ericsson connectivity and HERE location services deliver true smart mining capabilities, from mapping private terrain to pinpointing and navigating assets in real-time. By using location data to build continuously updated private maps on the HERE location platform, mining companies can create a canvas to improve operational efficiency and safety.

This living map can then be used to search or track, and deploy routing powered by HERE, as well as custom-built applications and services.

"Combining our advanced private network solutions with HERE services will give mining firms a head start on their digitization journey," finished Norén.

HERE is now part of Ericsson's Industry 4.0 partner ecosystem, providing location services in combination with private cellular networks for mining operations.

Ericsson's partner ecosystem is a platform that connects like-minded industries in the automation and manufacturing technologies space – this includes cyber-physical systems, internet of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing, and the development of creating smart facilities.

Listed so far on Ericsson's website are over 80 companies that are part of the ecosystem, including Cisco, D-Link, Epiroc, GE, Siemens, and many others in the Device and Hardware, Software and Applications, and Professional Services categories.