Nokia touts private wireless tech as productivity booster for miners

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

NOKIA Corp. said mining projects, typically located in remote areas, stand to raise their efficiency with the connectivity provided by its private wireless networks.

“The mining industry is a sector that clearly needs mission-critical connections,” Nokia Philippines Head Carlos Alberto Reyes said in an interview.

He said communication networks with “low latency” — referring to the delay experienced in data transfer — ensures “continuous communication for the equipment in the mine.”

He said that the company is currently in talks with potential mining partners to roll out Nokia’s private wireless network.

“We are interacting with several partners and industries that are interested in going in that direction… there are several areas that are doing mining and we are working in that direction,” Mr. Reyes said.

Mr. Reyes said that in mining, “technology is becoming a key differentiator. To be more safe, efficient, and sustainable; technology is helping (the industry) improve.”

“This is possible by digitalizing all the processes in mining, (which can create) an environment that helps the companies operate in a safer way,” he added.

“The solution that Nokia has designed for sectors like mining are specialized (technologies) dedicated for its operations,” Mr. Reyes said.

He added that Nokia’s private wireless network, is a “mini network” that links “all the elements; from the core, the processing, the data center, as well as the radio that connects to the mine.”

He assured that such networks are highly secure, with the system capable of handling “sensitive data reliably.”

“The mining industry is a sector that clearly needs mission-critical connections,” Mr. Reyes added.