- BCE (TSX:BCE; NYSE:BCE) and MacLean are accelerating research and development on mining vehicle automation, autonomy and interoperability
- BCE announced this technology collaboration with MacLean would improve the way machines exchange and make use of information – aiming to enhance worker safety while reducing vehicle emissions
- A Bell Private Mobile Network was installed at MacLean’s research and training facility to provide communications infrastructure, and it will transform the facility into a “Centre of Excellence,” leveraging Bell’s 5G/LTE network to deliver a strong signal from the surface shop to the underground environment
- Shares of BCE Inc. opened trading at C$46.77
BCE (TSX:BCE; NYSE:BCE) and MacLean are accelerating research and development on mining vehicle automation, autonomy and interoperability.
BCE, better known for its Bell telecommunications and Bell Media segments, announced this technology collaboration with MacLean, the world’s largest Canadian-based manufacturer of underground mining equipment to improve the way machines exchange and make use of information – aiming to enhance worker safety while reducing vehicle emissions.
A Bell Private Mobile Network (PMN) was installed at MacLean’s research and training facility in Sudbury, Ontario, to provide communications infrastructure, and it will transform the facility into a “Centre of Excellence,” leveraging Bell’s 5G/LTE network to deliver a strong signal from the surface shop to the underground environment.
This Centre of Excellence is the cornerstone of MacLean’s mobile equipment R&D. It enhances the reliability of remote control for the company’s mining vehicles, providing real-time monitoring data to facilitate swift decision-making. Remote operations improve machine collaboration, optimizing the potential for semi- or fully autonomous mining, where underground excavations can be safely managed by operators from above ground. Additionally, remote operators can oversee vehicles from afar without experiencing lag.
Bell has also implemented PMN coverage at MacLean’s electric vehicle refurbishment plant within the same facility. By replicating the operational environment in the manufacturing plant, quality assurance and manufacturing efficiencies can be optimized. Advancing the digital services of mining companies accelerates the deployment of electric vehicles underground, utilizing advanced battery technologies that benefit from real-time monitoring, leading to reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
“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,” David Jacques, MacLean’s VP engineering, said in a news release. “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. I’m delighted with the results of this collaboration and know that it will open new possibilities for our advanced vehicles and technology team at our test facility to pursue their important innovation work.”
BCE is Canada’s largest communications company, which operates companies such as Bell Media, is a media and entertainment company with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. This includes CTV, Crave, CTV News, TSN and RDS.
Shares of BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) opened trading at C$46.77 and though its stock is up 5.21 per cent over the past three months, it has lost 10.12 per cent since the year began.
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(Top photo: BCE and MacLean)