24 November 2023
Gugulethu, a recently established coal mine in South Africa under Canyon Coal, will integrate 5G technology into its operations as a result of a collaboration between Huawei, Menar, and MTN.
This comes as Gugulethu, in eastern Mpumalanga, gets closer to beginning production in early 2024. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked in Cape Town by Menar, MTN, and Huawei will allow the mine to install private 5G technology on its premises.
"We want to be at the forefront of mining innovation, and this partnership is a bold step towards a future where technology and connectivity redefine the mining landscape,” said Menar's chief innovation officer Cleavon Moothoosamy. "Huawei's technological infrastructure serves as the backbone of this venture and could enable us to leverage cutting-edge solutions to drive productivity and sustainable practises within our operations.”
MTN is taking the lead on the project by utilising its network and systems to support the growth and sustainability of its enterprise customers in South Africa. Tumi Chamayou, MTN's chief business enterprise officer, said that the network investment positions the operator to provide faster network access to its consumers.
"Importantly, 5G supports AI-based real-time analytics, enabling data-driven decision making, which is critical in the mining environment," said Jason Shao, account director at Huawei MTN KAD.
