Huawei and Debswana announced the world’s first 5G-oriented Smart Diamond Mine Project hence collaborated as Debswana the world’s leading diamond producer believes Huawei’s 4G eLTE private network solution provides stable connectivity for the Jwaneng mine, connecting more than 260 pieces of equipment, including drilling rigs, excavators, heavy trucks, and pickup trucks. 

In the opinion of Debswana’s Head of Information Management Molemisi Nelson Sechaba, in December 2021 project started where Huawei-enabled smart mine solution has been deployed at Debswana’s Jwaneng open-pit diamond mine. Also frame interconnection between the mine’s production, safety, and security systems. Therefore they are obsessed with the service and find possibilities in expeditions.

Previously there were two limitations on limited coverage. And another uses public wireless frequency and has less robust anti-interference capabilities. Which were resulting mine’s different types of data could not be transferred stably in real-time.

Sechaba also added:

“it is important to deploy the eLTE solution to connect mining equipment more stably. There are two reasons for this. The first is efficiency. The ability to transfer data in real-time makes equipment like mining vehicles more efficient, increasing yield and reducing long-term OPEX. Second, the solution helped improve safety. Real-time data collection, backhaul, and interaction make the system more sensitive and accurate to provide more reliable protection for staff and vehicles.”

Huawei and Debswana’s world’s First 5G-oriented Smart Diamond Mine Project

Debswana and Huawei’s joint efforts to drive digital transformation in the mining industry leads to more possibility and can take the efficiency, productivity, and safety of mining to the next level.

Xu Jun, Chief Technology Officer of Huawei Mine BU, said:

“Huawei is committed to using its strengths in ICT technologies like 5G, cloud, AI, and IoT to develop smart mine solutions that are based on an industrial Internet architecture for customers in the mining industry worldwide. These solutions make my production safer, more efficient, and more intelligent. In China, Huawei has jointly developed a number of intelligent applications with leading mining enterprises.”

Huawei has commercially deployed the AI mining model in projects with Jinneng Holding Group and Shandong Energy Group. Huawei has also delivered mining digital transformation projects in regions like Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. Huawei’s collaboration with Debswana is an example of such a successful projects.

Liao Yong, Vice President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Region, added:

“Mining is the economic backbone for many Sub-Saharan African countries and plays an important role in the economy of Africa as a whole. Over the past five years, Huawei has provided services to mining enterprises in a number of countries in the region, including South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Ghana. Looking to the future, Huawei will work with more local partners to accelerate mining digital transformation and create more value in Africa.”

According to Debswana, building on the success of the project in the Jwaneng mine deployed together with Huawei and Botswana local companies, in line with Botswana’s citizen economic empowerment program, the company plans to also deploy the smart mining solution in its Orapa, Damtshaa, and Letlhakane mines in 2023.