Raising the Performance of LTE in Australian mines – It all comes to challenging the status quo
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LTE provides undeniable benefits to users of all kinds. This includes a high level of predictability, QoS and connectivity at longer distances than Wi-Fi style networks.
As LTE network infrastructure is becoming more affordable and access to spectrum is getting easier globally, miners are taking advantage of the technology for applications involving their mobile assets.
Mining does however create some specific challenges regarding the use of LTE.
Improve the performance of your wireless network while self isolating
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This might seem counterintuitive to many. But think about all the tasks that you have on your work to do list that you never have the chance to tackle. Could it be a firmware upgrade? Technology research? Testing of a new network monitoring tool that seems a lot more performant than the one you have at site? Well now might be your opportunity to do so!
And while the situation is unprecedented, it will undoubtedly result in new, more remote and safer ways of planning and operating. But for now, what can you do that can bring value to your organization?
Let me give you a few ideas.
The Cost of Supporting Your Network
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3D-P works with a diverse, wide variety of clients – large to small, quarries to mines to airports, located all over the world – and during my tenure it has been very interesting to note both the differences, and commonalities between the clients and the diverse solutions we employ.
For example, no matter the industry, we can always apply the 3D-P pillars of successful network design:
- Understand the environment – geographically, culturally, and technologically
- Design for the application – now, and for the future
- Bring the best solution forward – best for the customer, not for us
Those are the common pillars we can use to build a stable, high-performing network for any customer, regardless of their size, industry, or application. The conversation then becomes one that can be different for every customer:
How can they best, most cost-effectively support that network?
Stop Guessing the Impact of the Changes Made to Your Site
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Whether you are identifying and fixing coverage issues, or trying to measure the performance of your wireless network the current set of tools available to you can be expensive, lacking in functionality, or extremely time consuming. 3D-P’s Managed Services offering of Network Performance Analysis Toolkit (NPAT) as a service aims to help you understand your wireless network performance by providing you and your team with a powerful map based visualization of key network performance indicators without needing to buy additional software.
Performance of LTE in Mining in 2019 – What to expect?
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LTE provides undeniable benefits to the unique network challenges encountered both in open pit and underground mining. With its promises of predictability, connectivity, capacity and speed, and a significant reduction in the price of LTE infrastructure over the last couple of years, there is no question why more mines are exploring this technology.
Implementation of an LTE network has however been challenging for a number of mines, which some of had to deploy a second network to compensate for the challenges of the technology.
More ways to bring your CFO to tears Part 2. Do your shareholders want to know about failed Proof of Concept projects or smart business leadership?
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All jokes aside, now heading into the twilight years of my career I have the unique honour of being asked my opinion about various subjects in my area of experience and some may say expertise. For anyone that knows me, you will get that I am driven from a place of always trying to do what is right by my customer and this conversation is less about technology and more about process.
While some may see my blog title as sarcastic or tongue in cheek, my point is to create some thought about who do you work for? And, is what I am doing right now bringing value to the shareholders now or in the future? If I am working on the strategic aspects of the business cycle, am I acting in the smartest way possible?
Overcoming the challenges associated with your GPS corrections
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Since the first broadband wireless network deployments in mining, there has been a strong use case for sending GPS corrections over these networks. GPS corrections are relatively small packets that are transmitted once per second from the GPS base station and must be received, with as little latency as possible, and in sequence, by the High Precision GPS (HPGPS) Receivers onsite. These relatively small packets should theoretically have little impact on the network, and since coverage is typically available, it seems a good fit.
Protecting your digital mine from cyber attacks
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Operational environments are no longer deployed in isolation and the attack surface continues to grow making it harder to secure the operational process. As organizations continue to digitize and look to differentiate within the market place, the traditional air-gapped operational environment no longer exists.
Therefore, more needs to done in order to ensure that proper controls are in place and greater overall visibility is achieved. Time to go beyond passive defenses and move towards active defense.
How ruggedized is the Intelligent Endpoint? Test 5: Shot from a Cannon
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Over our last videos, we’ve tried to kill the Intelligent Endpoint without much success. So, we brought out the big guns – a Civil War replica Cannon.
Going back to our shooting range, we first shot the IEP from a cannon before badly hitting it with a cannon ball.
Watch the results.
If you have more test ideas, don’t hesitate to share them with us.
How ruggedized is the Intelligent Endpoint? Test 2: The Truck Test
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The 3D-P Intelligent Endpoint® (IEP) was designed to survive the harshness of the mining environment. No doubt, it can survive being driven over by a truck? Let’s watch it in action.