Background

KAZ Minerals company is an operator of Aktogay open pit. To monitor and manage mining machines fleet and special assets on the area of the plant in 2015, a WiMAX universal wireless communication network was deployed. In the process of quarrying and dumping, “blind” zones with limited net coverage appeared in the main pit.

AVENCOM Responsibility

AVENCOM team was invited to investigate the issue and find a solution. Having analyzed the current network coverage and customer traffic AVENCOM team has formed a basic concept of solution. It was a mobile WiMAX repeater station ready for often relocation at the pit area and capable to operate in conditions of low and high temperatures -40 to +40 C°, in places without any external electrical connections.

The design was initialized with the fundamental features of the solution:

• 24/7 year-round operation;
• Ready for fast mobilization and deployment;
• Autonomy of internal power and heat subsystems;
• Equipped with remote monitoring system.

AVENCOM Approach

AVENCOM team has successfully built fully operated Mobile WiMAX repeater solution. To solve the most important requirement of full power autonomy it was decided to use modern power generation technology based on renewable resources such as sun and wind power. The system is based on small trailer equipped with: tow coupling with a pickup car for transportation to the deployment place; 4 solar panels and one wind turbine for power generation; monitoring boards for remote diagnostic of trailer status; telescopic mast for telecom equipment installation; autonomy diesel generator and air heater; WiMAX base station for providing network coverage inside the pit.

Summary

Mobile WiMAX Repeater was successfully commissioned as WiMAX coverage improving solution at main pit in Aktogay. Following the successful implementation of the first mobile repeater, KAZ Minerals decided to order two additional trailers and still successfully uses all three of them at the site.