Once completed, the network will support advanced Industry 4.0 use cases at the mine to accelerate its digital transformation. This includes real-time data processing at the network edge, supporting business Industry 4.0 use cases, such as autonomous vehicles, high-precision positioning and group communications.
“This is another great example of how collaboration across the ecosystem is essential for developing winning technology solutions to meet productivity, safety and sustainability targets," said Stephan Litjens, head of enterprise solutions at Nokia.
"We are pleased to work with Telia and Digita to deliver our leading 5G standalone private wireless technology and enable new Industry 4.0 use cases for the Kittilä Mine. Nokia industrial private wireless networks provide secure, reliable connectivity to meet the stringent operational demands of today’s mining industry, and 5G enables even greater levels of performance.”
Specifically, the Nokia 5G SA network will support both above and below-ground operations, of depths of up to one kilometre. This will cover an extensive tunnel system to connect people, equipment, sensors, devices and vehicles leveraging the low latency capabilities of 5G.
The Nokia 5G SA private wireless network, based on the Nokia Modular Private Wireless solution, will combine Nokia 5G RAN AirScale base station technology and critical edge computing capabilities, with the Nokia Compact Mobility Unit-based 5G core.
“We are excited to be a part of this project for Agnico Eagle, providing high-performance 5G to transform operations at the Kittilä mine," said Jari Collin, chief technology officer at Telia Finland.
"This deployment continues our work with Nokia and Digita to deliver 5G SA private wireless networks in Finland to support the growing digital economy in the country.”
The Kittilä mine is the largest primary gold producer in Europe and is located 900km north of Helsinki, and 150km north of the Arctic circle in the Lapland region of northern Finland.
Using Nokia's industrial-grade private wireless technology, which can be deployed in the most remote locations, mine owners benefit from Industry 4.0 applications that enable new levels of automation.
“Having already piloted autonomous and remotely controlled machinery in recent years, we chose to work with Nokia, Telia and Digita to deliver capabilities for the next phase of our digital transformation journey," said Tommi Kankkunen, general manager of the Kittilä mine.
"We want to innovate by using the latest technologies and will leverage the Nokia 5G SA private network to enhance operational efficiency and support the highest level of safety for teams working at the mine.”
The network will be deployed in phases and is expected to be completed by October 2022.
