Ethernet delivery

Two radio links - one to a mine and the other to a construction site - have allowed broadband communications where there was practically no coverage before.

Nexium Telecommunications is a subsidiary of Ergon Energy, a Queensland Government-owned corporation that supplies energy solutions across regional Queensland and the remote areas of the state and the Torres Strait.

Nexium wanted to deliver last-mile ethernet into remote areas and it selected a Motorola wireless system. This is self-contained and does not need an ACMA licence to operate. It can also work in relatively noisy areas and it supports the internet protocol specifications for the multi-protocol label switching network to ensure a high level of remote control and management.

The first choice by Nexium was for a fibre-optic cable installation but, after it was realised it was a more expensive option taking many more months to lay, radio was chosen and implemented in three months.

The two radio links - one to a mine site and the other to a construction site - are extensive. One is about 26 km and the other 90 km from the control centre. Before the installation, the mine site had very limited, low-speed capacity and the construction site had no infrastructure or capacity.

“We were looking for something reliable, along with a team of maintenance people who were experienced in the mining area,” said Ergon’s network services manager, Kevin Boylan.

“EZI Communications was chosen as the regional supplier for Motorola as it had experience in the design, installation and maintenance of its wireless networking equipment.

“Also, our parent company, Ergon Energy, had an existing relationship with EZI who installed and maintains its two-way radio fleet in the Gladstone area.

“Nexium has to ensure that remote locations are not impeded by a lack of technology,” says Boylan.

“To that end, the system we have put in place has to operate with a minimum of maintenance, since many of the sites are in remote areas and difficult terrain,” he says.