With the drawn out process of 5G spectrum allocation nearly complete in South Africa, we can now start eyeing upcoming projects that will look to leverage the speed and stability of the new broadband standard.
One such project involves an agreement to partner between Nkwe Platinum and South Africa Zijin Platinum, which is working with MTN and Huawei to build the Southern Africa region’s first 5G-enabled smart metal mine.
“MTN and Huawei are to provide 5G-based ICT solutions for the smart mining requirements including, not only high-speed 5G broadband access, but also smart mining solutions like vehicle remote control, IoT, and enterprise digital transformation,” explains Huawei regarding the project in a press release sent to Hypertext.
“Once complete, the mine will mark a significant step forward in the digital transformation of the local mining industry. It will effectively demonstrate how a number of emerging technologies can be combined with 5G to improve functions across the mine,” it adds.
This project will be rolled out at the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine in Limpopo.
“In May 2021, at the mine launch, we stated that we would build the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine into a project with advanced technology, solid safety, and environmental protection practices. The adoption of this 5G smart mining solution will certainly enable the Zijin Mining Group to deliver on that promise, and to establish the mine’s technology-led global competitiveness,” highlights Fan Zhiyu, MD and CEO of Nkwe Platinum.
“The Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine in South Africa is one of the Zijin Mining Group’s major overseas projects. The collaboration with MTN and Huawei will help the Zijin Mining Group build its first high-tech and safe overseas smart mine, brimming with socio-economic value, from the initial stage of construction. We will also work hard to promote sustainable development in Africa,” he continues.
While a deadline or timeframe for this new project’s completion has not been made at the time of writing, Huawei is aiming to facilitate more of these kinds of initiatives based around 5G connectivity moving forward.
“Digital transformation has become a global trend across numerous industries, and 5G has undoubtedly accelerated this. We feel very excited to work with Zijin and MTN to open Southern Africa’s first 5G metal smart mine,” notes Peng Song, president of Huawei Global Carrier Marketing & Solution.
“Huawei is currently bringing its 5G-based ICT solutions into the mining industry and building a cross-industry ecosystem to continuously improve network connectivity to help Telcos maximize network value, and also help the mining industry build safe and smart mining projects through the capabilities of 5GtoB,” he concludes.
