Private Network Assessment for Mining (Premium)

TeckNexus offers a specialized Private Network Readiness Assessment tailored to the mining sector. Whether you’re digitizing open-pit operations, enabling autonomous haulage, connecting remote exploration camps, or improving safety through real-time telemetry, this tool helps mining operators evaluate their preparedness for private 5G/LTE.

This detailed assessment covers 12 critical dimensions of readiness, built on 160 expert-curated questions. Estimated completion time: 30–45 minutes, depending on internal coordination.

Real-World Use Cases in Mining

This mining-specific assessment is grounded in real operational demands and innovations across surface and underground environments, such as:

• Enable autonomous haul trucks, drones, and remote-controlled rigs with ultra-low-latency private 5G
• Monitor tailings dams, air quality, and water discharge using real-time sensors and edge analytics
• Improve safety with connected wearables, geofencing, and emergency push-to-video systems
• Extend secure connectivity to exploration camps and pit-to-port corridors with backhaul and slicing
• Boost ESG compliance, reduce diesel use, and support smarter mine planning with digital twins

These use cases reflect the operational scale, safety sensitivity, and environmental complexity of modern mining.

What’s Inside the Private Network Readiness Assessment for Mining

The assessment is organized into 12 focused sections, each covering a critical component of your private LTE/5G strategy. It blends foundational readiness with advanced design, automation, and partner ecosystem planning.

1. Company Profile & Mining Classification

Captures key characteristics such as the number of mining sites, operational types (open-pit, underground, processing), environmental conditions, and expansion plans. This context supports scale-appropriate RF planning, environmental hardening, and deployment strategies.

2. Site & Infrastructure Overview

Assesses connected devices, existing wireless tech (e.g., Wi-Fi, CBRS, satellite), coverage gaps, RF barriers (e.g., shafts, rugged zones), and remote site backhaul. This baseline helps identify real-world coverage demands, edge readiness, and complexity of zone-based design.

3. Mining Use Case Drivers

Identifies mission-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles, remote blasting, environmental telemetry, drone inspections, and connected worker safety. Use case insights help drive network slicing, latency optimization, and spectrum selection.

4. IT/OT Systems & Automation

Evaluates integration of SCADA, PLCs, IoT telemetry, edge AI, alerting, protocol stacks, and real-time control systems. Also assesses TSN needs, OTA provisioning, and unified monitoring across rugged automation layers.

5. RF & Spectrum Planning in Harsh Environments

Assesses RF planning readiness across deep pits, remote zones, and high-dust areas. Also covers geofencing, PAL/CBRS use, regulatory posture for cross-border operations, and availability of RF design tools.

6. Network Architecture & Zone Mobility

Evaluates network design across mine zones — from distributed cores to Open RAN adoption, roaming across haul roads, and use of neutral hosts. Includes slicing requirements by zone (e.g., pits vs. camps), cross-site mobility, and infrastructure compatibility.

7. Budgeting & Financial Planning

Captures CAPEX/OPEX maturity, ROI expectations, grant funding, spectrum access fees, and infrastructure planning (e.g., fiber trenching, SAS fees). Also includes opportunity cost modeling and cost-saving use cases like reduced downtime or automation ROI.

8. Security, Compliance & Data Residency

Assesses adherence to frameworks like NIST, Zero Trust, and mining-specific HSE protocols. Includes segmentation, RBAC, air-gapping, secure remote access, data sovereignty rules, and the use of network slicing to isolate critical zones or functions.

9. Resilience & Operational Continuity

Focuses on environmental hardening, ruggedized gear, backup power systems, failover strategies, cloud outage resilience, and disaster recovery plans. These controls are essential for uninterrupted mining operations across volatile environments.

10. Strategic Governance & KPI Alignment

Evaluates C-level involvement, ESG alignment, integration of network KPIs into annual reports, and the use of third-party audits. Governance helps translate network design into long-term value, compliance, and cross-site alignment.

11. Advanced Tech Enablement

Explores readiness for edge AI, MEC, containerized stacks, digital twins, and protocol translation across mining’s cyber-physical systems. Also assesses connected worker and simulation tools supporting predictive operations.

12. Deployment & Partner Strategy

Captures ecosystem planning: vendor lock-in mitigation, hybrid 5G strategy (public-private), Open RAN adoption, MSP/SI engagement, and full-stack partner evaluation. Designed to support phased rollout, cost optimization, and lifecycle management.

Who the Mining Private 5G Readiness Assessment Is Designed For

This assessment is built for a broad range of stakeholders shaping digital transformation and private network adoption in mining:

• Site operations managers and pit supervisors
• Network planners, RF engineers, and automation architects
• OT/IT convergence leads and asset management teams
• Innovation, ESG, and compliance teams
• System integrators and managed service providers (MSPs)
• Private LTE/5G infrastructure vendors and consultants
• EPCs, mine planners, and technology advisors

By aligning inputs across teams, you get a complete picture of network readiness across complex, multi-zone mining environments.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Assessment

• Involve key stakeholders from OT, IT, and safety teams
• Have access to site layout maps, fleet information, and connectivity gaps
• Set aside 30–45 minutes to complete all sections

What You’ll Receive

After completing the assessment, you'll get:

• A comprehensive readiness score across 12 mining-specific categories
• Expert-generated insights tied to your operational needs, safety risks, and future growth
• A custom PDF report to support investment planning, partner discussions, and board-level alignment