China's First 5G Smart Coal Mine Launched in Shanxi

China Mobile Limited (China Mobile) announced on June 18 that China's first 5G smart coal mine was launched at Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co., Ltd's Xinyuan Coal Mine in Shanxi province.

Jointly built by China Mobile, Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co., Ltd and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei), the smart coal mine relies on China's lowest underground 5G network dedicated for coal mines. It has an upload speed of more than 1,000 Mps and is buried as deep as 534 meters underground.

The network's dedicated underground communication devices, jointly developed by China Mobile and Huawei, have obtained a flameproof certificate.

Based on the 5G network, the two enterprises also developed three 5G-based unmanned applications to inspect electromechanical chambers as well as operations on the coalface and comprehensive mechanized coal mining operations, which promotes automation and visual operation of the pit.

The unmanned inspection effectively examines faults of electromechanical equipment and lowers labor intensity while improving workers' security in a real time manner.

The unmanned operations also reduce workers' workloads and the possibility of accidents.

China Mobile also built an internet data center (IDC) room in the underground lanes to offer low-cost, safe and reliable data center service.

At the online launch ceremony, the founding of a 5G smart mining alliance, which was jointly initiated by more than 70 enterprises and institutes including China Mobile, Tsinghua University, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co., Ltd, China Coal Technology & Engineering Group and Huawei, was also announced.

The alliance will cooperate to build a smart mining cooperation platform, accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies, seek commercial modes which can be used in wider fields and encourage a co-building and sharing mode of resources to take advantage of various parties and promote sustainable and stable development of the mining industry.

China Mobile also signed a 5G strategic cooperative agreement with 24 enterprises including four coal mining corporations to promote construction of 5G demonstration coal mines and the value of the 5G industry.

The event was a start and a guide of the transformation and upgrading of traditional mining industry in aspects of informatization, automation and intelligentization.

In recent years, China Mobile has made accelerating 5G infrastructure a major mission and promoted 5G applications in various industries.

China Mobile is now promoting construction of 5G capability in several strip mines including the Bayan Obo mining district in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, a molybdenum mine in Central China's Henan province and a copper mine in eastern province of Jiangxi.

In the meantime, the company, together with its partners, has obtained a certificate of mining security for its first 5G NSA network and is pushing forward 5G applications including smart underground coal extraction, inspection and adjustment.

The alliance will collect industrial powers and promote a higher degree of integration and innovation of 5G technology and the mining industry.

China Mobile will seize the opportunity of 5G and continue to advance development of 5G-based smart mining applications.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)