Comms Connect case study preview: private LTE in remote areas

A new featured case study has been added to the Comms Connect Melbourne conference agenda, with Rio Tinto’s Marek Jaworski joining Vocus’s Malcolm Jones to discuss the benefits of private 4G/5G networks when it comes to enhancing remote connectivity. Together, Jaworski and Jones will outline a recent project to expand the private LTE network coverage for Rio Tinto’s aluminium bauxite mine in Weipa, Far North Queensland.

The project scope included design and build of a new 60 m tower, RF design and implementation for a new private LTE macro site, redundant microwave links, integration and expansion to the complex IPMPLS network and EPC core. The project also required a significant coverage expansion of the network to be completed within six months before mining operational costs would be impacted.

The presentation will not only talk about the project from a technology perspective, but also the challenges faced in delivering these types of solutions in such remote and harsh conditions. With no Bunnings or any other supplier store within 1000 km, this was as much about planning and logistics as it was about building the network.

Jaworski and Jones will be talking about the drivers for the project as well as the partners involved to create the success. They will address the difficulties of working in Weipa and how the project was successfully delivered within aggressive timelines for the business, which required the partnering of the individual specialist companies — each contributing their own areas of domain expertise. The close of the presentation will provide a look ahead to the most recent technologies that are now influencing the way we can solve such problems with lower cost and often less complexity.

The presentation “Private 4G/5G networks — high capacity & secure connectivity to remote areas” will be held on the first day of Comms Connect Melbourne (18 October) at 2.15 pm — and with less than two weeks until doors open, now’s the time to secure your ticket for this premier industry event. Bookings also close today for the ARCIA Gala Dinner, to be held on the evening of 18 October, so make sure to register for that before it’s too late.

Image courtesy Rio Tinto.