ITC Global deploys satcom network solution for Kinross Gold mines in Russia

ITC Global, Inc. has entered a long term agreement with Kinross Gold Corporation to deliver a satellite communications network and bandwidth service to the latter's Russian mining sites.

Kinross' current ERP and IT systems will be used and upgraded to create an end-to-end bespoke satellite communications network with maximum functionality and reliability. The new satellite network will increase the network access of the mines that Kinross operates in the remote regions of Russia.

The ITC Global-designed bespoke network employs cutting-edge technology and equipment of the highest available caliber. It will support Kinross’ Russian mining sites over the course of the next five years.

The satellite communications network solution created by ITC Global combines newer satellites, improved technology, and innovative engineering. It delivers more than ten times the bandwidth Kinross currently enjoys while costing only less than three times the cost of the current network. It also features improved reliability.

Mining sector turning to Ka band technology

As data traffic volume around the world surges, many industries are looking to upgrade their satellite communications capabilities to handle the changes, and avoid strain on their networks. In particular, the mining sector is understanding the benefit of transitioning to Ka band satellite technology. Unlike C band and Ku band, this new spectrum delivers increased capacity and flexible payloads that can answer changing customer demands. Ka band also allows for smaller and more mobile terminals to be used, making them a more cost-effective and ideal alternative to industries with remote business operations.

The mining industry, for example, cannot always rely on terrestrial networks, such as fibre optic cables. In Australia and South Africa, some mining sites are simply to remote for fibre or even fixed wireless services to reach. In these locations, the last mile problem can be answered via satellite coverage, and preferably through the Ka band satellite which employs multi-spot beams with Ku band-like coverage. This extends the range of a covered area, allowing customers to uplink and receive signals from almost anywhere. New generation Ka band satellites can also have the advantaged of higher-throughput capacity allowing for services like Internet from satellite, SCPC, broadcast networks, military satcom services, and VoIP. 

There is still a long way to go for the new technology to be in full use, not only in the mining sector, but also in the resource industries. However, as more organizations understand the unique advantages of Ka band, the satellites of the future are ready to play a more crucial role in delivering powerful communications anywhere, and any time. 

Australian satellite company exhibits at Diggers and Dealers 2012

The Goldfields Arts Centre in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia hosted one the leading annual mining conferences in the country, the Diggers & Dealers 2012, last August 6 to 8. Aside from bringing together investors, miners, suppliers, and those involved in the mining sector, the event also welcomed companies and organizations which deliver services that make mining operations more efficient.

NewSat at the Diggers and Dealers Forum

One of the exhibitors at Karlgoorlie was NewSat Ltd, Australia's leading independent satellite communications company. Alongside the mining boom, the satellite sector has also seen increasing demand for their services and technologies. The mining industry has been taking advantage of satellite communications for the successful operations of many remote mining locations.

NewSat's booth at the mining conference

NewSat showcased its many products and services, including Internet, data, voice and video conferencing perfectly suited to mining operations. The company also discussed how its world-class teleport facilities can provide the necessary communications platform for entertainment systems in the mining sites. With satellite communications, the FIFO scheme in the industry has been given an alternative, and along with operations efficiency, employee welfare has been improved. 

Just recently, the company snagged a lucrative teleport contract along with BAE Systems, to deliver offshore and onshore communications to the Wheatstone Project in Western Australia. 

Datasat: Communications infrastructure key to long-term value in mining industry

An optimized remote communications infrastructure can help mining companies control costs and increase business efficiency, according to a recently-released positioning paper by Datasat Communications

The mining industry is currently enjoying an eight-year commodities supercycle of growth. However, the slowdown of the Chinese market has prompted some speculators to predict that the supercyle is coming to an end. There are also fears that another twenty-year slump akin to the 1973-2003 "dark age" is looming in the horizon.

In order to make the most out of the possible downturn, mining companies must maximize the efficiency of their operations. One of the ways to do so is to optimize existing and planned remote communications infrastructure.

Datasat's positioning paper detailed the pivotal role played by remote communications in maximizing the value of a mining organization's technology investment. According to Bernie Branfield, General Manager of Datasat Communications, the communications infrastructure of a mine site is worth several times the initial investment.

Mining companies have unique business needs and budgets. Their communications solutions must be specifically tailored to those requirements. Effective cost management will maximize operations efficiency, which is important in these times of diminishing returns where mines require 50% more effort and expenses to extract the same amount of resources that they used to do ten or twenty years back.

To create a communications infrastructure that ensures high levels of performance and availability, mining companies may avail of a great range of network technologies. Satellite communications services can now provide high data rates and secure connections over inter-site and inter-country distances at affordable prices. Similar advances for wireless and mobile communications bring a wide range of applications that are used for intra-site and site-to-site communications.

An optimized remote communications infrastructure can provide innovative solutions. The idea is to increase the efficiency of mining operation during and after the mining supercycle. Remote communications can lower operational costs by allowing more remote operations to be performed on sites. It also adds long-term value to the project by allowing the infrastructure to perform tasks that it hitherto could not be used.

For example, communications infrastructure can be used to maintain a social licence with local communities through close communication. By expanding their existing communications infrastructure to encompass to nearby communities, mining operators can use it to educate and entertain said communities, which will improve their relations.

To this end, a mining company should be careful in selecting a network service provider. The mining company and the network service provider must work together to delineate the mine's specific requirements and create a communications infrastructure perfect for its needs and budgets.

Mining Sites in Australia rely on Satellite Communications

Many of today's mining companies face tremendous challenges accompanying their growth. In Western Australia, the sector has seen a boom but along with it, the rise of unique geographic and operational challenges. Rich mining sites are often found in remote regions, and the cost of bringing in equipment and human resources is quite expensive. The booming mining economy in Western Australia has also seen fierce competition among mining companies who hope to keep the best staff within their turf. To do this, companies invest greatly on employee welfare, trying their to best to ensure the safety of miners, and of course, their entertainment. However, the remoteness of mining locations often force the companies to spend on a costly FIFO or Fly-in Fly-out scheme, to help deter homesickness among employees. 

Mining boom in Western Australia presents unique challenges

An alternative to the FIFO scheme is an investment on satellite communications for mining. Due to geographic limitations, mining sites cannot fully rely on terrestrial communications infrastructure. Some of these sites are simply too-far flung for the reach of fibre optic networks and cables. What satellite communications offer is unbridled infrastructure that can be the groundwork of improved infotainment systems in mining sites for the miners. 

High-speed data carried by satellites allows entertainment systems to be built in this distant work locations even in the harshest environments. These robust communications systems give miners the opportunity to connect with their loved ones through voice and video conferencing, lessening the stress from an exhausting fly-in and fly-out scheme, as well as the emotional test of homesickness. Digital entertainment platforms can also be built to provide miners off-duty activities. They can stream movies, enjoy Skype, free-to-air TV, as well as make the most of room-to-room communications. 

Satellite broadband in place in mining sites

In Australia, the Mining Camp Entertainment Systems and R-Group has relied on satellite communications from NewSat to deliver real-time, streamlined, satellite communications to over 1,000 rooms across various mining sites. By providing miners connectivity, as well as entertainment, mining companies are focusing on improving employee retention and productivity, as well as reducing operational cost from employees constantly leaving and returning. Unique solutions such as these are crucial for a mining industry facing equally unique hurdles as result of the booming mining economy in WA. Innovative solutions are now the determining point in helping mining companies succeed in remote regions.