Bell Canada has partnered with MacLean, a Canadian-based manufacturer of underground mining equipment, to accelerate research and development in mining vehicle automation, autonomy, and interoperability. As part of the collaboration, Bell has installed its Private Mobile Network (PMN) at the MacLean Research and Training Facility in Sudbury, Ontario, utilising its secure 5G/LTE network, which delivers persistent, dedicated bandwidth and signal stability from the surface shop to the underground environment.
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Research and Development
This facility will serve as the foundation for MacLean's mobile equipment research and development, enabling the company's mining vehicles to be more reliably controlled remotely, with real-time monitoring data to support rapid decision-making, Bell Canada said in a joint announcement this week.
Enhancing Safety and Productivity
Remote operations allow machines to collaborate more effectively, maximising the potential for deploying semi or fully autonomous mining systems, where underground excavations can be conducted safely by operators working above ground. Remote operators can also monitor vehicles from a distance without lag, thanks to Bell's low-latency PMN, the company explained.
"This new private mobile network technology will help us pursue our core mission of enhancing safety and productivity in mining, both here in Canada and globally," said MacLean's VP of Engineering.
Sustainable Future with Battery-Electric Vehicles
"Bell's private mobile network will enable MacLean to drive the modernisation of mining operations in Canada, supporting equipment interoperability, creating safer environments for workers, and promoting a more sustainable future through the adoption of battery-electric mining vehicles," added Bell's VP of Product.
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Bell has also installed PMN coverage at MacLean's electric vehicle refurbishment plant located within the same facility. The companies noted that accelerating the digital transformation of mining operations will contribute to reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
