Bell and MacLean drive next-gen mining vehicle technology

Bell and MacLean have announced a new partnership to advance mining vehicle automation and remote operations in Canada. As part of this collaboration, Bell has installed a private mobile network (PMN) at MacLean’s research and training facility in Sudbury, Ont. to enhance mining equipment development.

Bell’s PMN provides secure 5G/LTE connectivity from the surface to underground, allowing MacLean’s vehicles to operate remotely with real-time monitoring. This setup supports autonomous operations, enabling workers to manage equipment from above ground and reducing risks associated with underground mining.

“What we’re doing here at our research and training facility is quite literally building the mine of the future, now, leveraging Bell’s leading-edge mobile network technology, so that we can accelerate the industry transition to mining in a way that maximizes the benefits from emerging automation and digitalization technologies,” said MacLean VP of engineering David Jacques.

Additionally, Bell’s network has been installed at MacLean’s electric vehicle refurbishment plant, facilitating the use of battery-powered mining vehicles and supporting industry efforts to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.

“This new private mobile network technology will help us pursue our core work of driving safety and productivity improvements in mining, here in Canada and around the globe,” added Jacques. 

For more information, visit www.Bell.ca and  www.MacLeanEngineering.com.