Case Studies
Open cast mine cellular coverage
(metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay)
Open cast mining is deployed where there is e.g. coal, not where there is cellular signal. Even if there is good coverage, the RSSI is transceived from a BTS horizontally, so inside the pit zero signal coverage is received.
Mines utilise heavy vehicles relying on telemetry, to monitor them for performance, on time performance as well as for safety reasons. Technicians, drivers and workers all require tracking and communication during their shifts as well as their location
A simple, cost effective way to achieve this is illustrated by the photos of an open cast mine (one of three installations done by DSE) that were equipped with a high powered repeater, a doner antenna on a mast and a service antenna via a feeder cable pointing into the pit. The cabling was trenched to withstand heavy vehicle movement.
The cable connected the service antenna which is positioned overlooking the pit which is approximately 2 square kilometres in size. Repeaters are available for all frequency bands used by network operators in South Africa as well as combinations of frequency bands on 2G, 3G, 4G LTE. We are 5G ready.
