Edge computing, autonomous machines, this is Industry 4.0
Nokia is working with mobile operator Telia and systems integrator Digita to build a 5G SA private wireless network for Europe’s biggest gold producer, the Kittilä mine in northern Finland.
The Nokia 5G SA network will support operations above and below ground to depths of one kilometre. It will cover an extensive tunnel system to connect people, equipment, sensors, devices and vehicles which will need 5G’s low latency.
This is what Industry 4.0 will look like
As part of its transformation to ‘Industry 4.0’ mine operator Agnico Eagle Finland wants to be capable of data processing at the network edge, to run autonomous vehicles and to give its machinery high-precision positioning and group communications.
The Kittilä mine is 900 km north of Helsinki and 150 km north of the Arctic circle in the Lapland region of northern Finland. With tunnels running 1 km under ground health and safety standards are a major issue for mining that the 5G SA can tackle, according to Tommi Kankkunen, the Kittilä mine’s general manager.
This is mobile Computing at the Edge
“We want to use the Nokia 5G SA private network for operational efficiency and the highest level of safety for teams working at the mine,” said Kankkunen.
The private network will use Nokia’s Modular Private Wireless (MPW) with AirScale 5G RAN base station technology and edge computing, together with a compact mobility unit-based 5G core. The network will be built in phases and the completion date is mooted for October 2022.
“Nokia industrial private wireless networks provide secure, reliable connectivity to meet the stringent operational demands of today’s mining industry and 5G gives greater levels of performance,” said Stephan Litjens, Nokia’s head of enterprise solutions.