Mobile TeleSystems, a Russian mobile operator and provider of digital services, will build a commercial 5G-ready private network for the iron ore mining and processing plant JSC Karelsky Okatysh, a subsidiary of steel and mining company PJSC Severstal.

According to the agreement, MTS will build a dedicated LTE/5G-ready network for dispatching voice and video communication systems, positioning and video monitoring of transport and mining equipment, as well as emergency notification and operational management.

The second stage of the project will modernise solutions for automating processes for the extraction, transportation and processing of ore and the storage and visualisation of data.

The company said it would be built on the Ericsson Dedicated Network solution, which includes the cloud-based packet core of the operator-class Ericsson network; deployment will begin in April 2022.

Georgy Dzhabiev, director of Digital Solutions, MTS, said the dedicated network would combine communication, monitoring and dispatching systems with the plant's IT infrastructure.

He claimed this would "improve the efficiency of managing the fleet of transporting and mining equipment at the quarry" and enable future automation of processes.

Alexander Romanov, director of Dedicated Networks, Ericsson Russia, said the mining sector is transforming into a "high-tech industry that uses innovative solutions to improve efficiency in the ongoing pandemic".

"Automated mine concept and mine dispatching solutions require advanced infrastructure for the most demanding scenarios, with high-quality data security and efficient energy consumption," Romanov said.

"Various mobile access technologies have been tested at a global scale; the technology of dedicated LTE / 5G networks has proven its effectiveness and is widely used in the mining industry around the world."