Industrial AI networks provide safer, smarter, more efficient operations for mining and other high-risk sectors

Challenges in mining and the need for industrial AI networks

Open-pit mining, a cornerstone of global industrial supply chains, faces inherent challenges to its efficiency and safety. The extraction process requires navigating vast, rugged terrains, often in remote locations where infrastructure is sparse, communication is unreliable, and human intervention poses significant risks. As the industry scales to meet growing demand for raw materials, the limitations of traditional approaches—high labor costs, frequent equipment failures, and safety hazards—have become untenable.

The AI Agent & 5G: Mining with drones & autonomous trucks Catalyst, which won the Outstanding Catalyst – Special Mention Catalyst Award at Innovate Asia 24, aims to address these challenges through a combination of advanced network, automation, and AI technologies. Developed by a number of leading Asian CSPs, tech firms, and academic institutions, the solution provides a blueprint for industrial AI networks that streamline modern mining operations while improving cost efficiency and safety.

Industrial AI networks are a sophisticated patchwork of cutting-edge technologies

The Catalyst’s solution reimagines the network infrastructure required to overcome the geographic and operational complexities of open-pit mining. The system integrates low-altitude 5G-A networks, satellite communication, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems to provide real-time connectivity across expansive mining sites. The solution enables drones to be equipped with base stations to provide extended coverage into remote areas. This layered network architecture ensures uninterrupted communication between autonomous mining vehicles, centralized control systems, and cloud platforms. Notably, this eliminates delays and ensures continuous operation.

AI is also crucial. AI-powered agents automate critical functions, including fault diagnosis, real-time data collection, and predictive maintenance. Automation addresses network and equipment issues before they escalate, minimizing downtime, improving operational reliability, and enhancing safety. A fully integrated ‘vehicle, ground, sky, and cloud’ model provides centralized oversight, supported by 3D simulation modelling that allows CSPs to visualize and monitor operations in real time.

TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture and CAMARA Open API assets helps tie together the constituent technologies for industrial AI networks. For example, private 5G networks deployed in the mines benefit from enhanced quality and service delivery based on the GB1057 framework, while CAMARA’s Quality on Demand API ensures consistent and high-performance network services. Autonomous operations are supported by TM Forum’s IG1218F framework, which guides the system’s scalability and adaptability. By adopting these standards, the project ensures that network reliability and performance remain uncompromised.

Scaling industrial AI networks to other sectors

The multi-stakeholder collaboration behind the Catalyst demonstrates how other multi-stakeholder projects of this nature could work. China Telecom and China Unicom led the development of the architecture, supported by ZTE and other technical partners who provided solutions for base station operations and vehicle integration. Academic institutions advanced the AI methodologies, and mining companies articulated operational needs, ensuring the technology directly addressed the challenges of the sector.

The project’s design of industrial AI networks developed for mining also makes them well-suited for sectors such as agriculture, logistics, and disaster response. For instance, drones equipped with temporary base stations could facilitate emergency communications in disaster zones, while AI diagnostics could optimize large-scale farming operations.

At present, the project technologies have been used in more than 20 enterprises and tens of thousands of terminal devices nationwide. The solution, based on network planning, network monitoring and maintenance, and network optimization, is in the pilot verification of several mining areas. Since its implementation, the project team estimates efficiency improvements of over 50% and annual cost savings in the hundreds of millions of yuan. By reducing network delays, failures, and reliance on manual labor, the project significantly enhances the economics and safety of mining while also contributing to sustainable development goals.