Private LTE vs Wi‑Fi for Open-Pit Mines

The choice should follow site conditions, budget, and performance requirements. Connectum has designed both network types for more than 12 years and assesses where each offers value.

Here is a comparison based on figures and project experience.

How the technologies differ

Put simply:

• A Wi‑Fi network uses access points on masts, buildings, or mobile equipment. The owner manages traffic, expansion, and security.
• Private LTE (LTE/5G) is effectively a turnkey mobile operator within your mine. You install base stations and obtain or lease spectrum. Subscriber devices, including phones and vehicle modems, see it as a conventional operator’s network, but with priorities under your control.

Private LTE has strengths, but its infrastructure and operating requirements carry costs.

What matters at a mining site

We have collected the main criteria by which miners choose communication for telemetry, dispatching and positioning.

Speed and delay. Wi‑Fi clearly leads on speed: hundreds of megabits per second allow real-time camera video and telemetry transmission. Private LTE offers lower speeds because base station capacity is shared among all subscribers. Latency follows a similar pattern: Wi‑Fi delivers 2-5 milliseconds, sufficient even for equipment control. LTE delivers 20-50 ms — acceptable for telemetry, but approaching the limit for control applications.

Adaptability to a changing mine. Wi‑Fi access points can be relocated, while mesh routes reorganize as mine levels change. LTE base station locations are less flexible. If equipment moves behind a spoil heap or terrain obstruction, additional coverage may be needed.

Total cost of ownership. Wi‑Fi capital expenditure is generally low to moderate, with lower equipment costs and no spectrum fee. Private LTE requires licensing, spectrum access or leasing, and a network core, followed by ongoing costs.

Wi‑Fi operating costs are also lower in this comparison. The internal IT team or a contractor such as Connectum can maintain the network. Private LTE often requires operator involvement and more complex operation.

Equipment positioning. Wi‑Fi provides 3–5-meter accuracy, sufficient for many tasks including haul cycle tracking. Private LTE accuracy depends heavily on base station density and is lower without additional equipment such as RTK.

Wi‑Fi offers flexibility, speed, and cost advantages. LTE is useful across large, unobstructed areas and where unified voice communication is a priority.

Case from the practice: when Wi‑Fi outperformed LTE

At a coal mine in Khakassia with autonomous BelAZ haul trucks and a 7 km test area, the customer initially considered private LTE.

We did a Wi‑Fi site survey and showed the numbers:

1. Changing terrain. Spoil heaps move and new mine levels appear. An expensive LTE base station could end up behind an obstruction within six months.
2. Budget. Turnkey LTE deployment was 2.5 times the cost of an industrial Hitachi Tropos Wi‑Fi network. Tropos is also used at Tugnuisky Mine, with 150 terminals, annual coal output of 14 million tons, and 23 world productivity records.
3. Capacity. Onboard video and telemetry requirements left insufficient LTE headroom, while Wi‑Fi allowed for growth.

The customer chose a mesh-based Wi‑Fi network. Access points communicate over radio links, and data can take alternative paths as vehicles move behind spoil heaps. The topology adapts to the changing layout.

Now it is one of the most advanced sites in Russia in terms of automation.

When is LTE needed?

Private LTE is a good choice if:

• The mine has a broad, open bowl shape with smooth benches and little change to the layout over time.
• Unified staff voice communication is essential, and a separate infrastructure is acceptable.
• Spectrum is available or can be obtained without excessive administrative cost.
• The budget allows a 100% allowance for equipment and its maintenance.

A hybrid may still be suitable: LTE for voice and dispatch, Wi‑Fi for high-volume data and adaptable working-area coverage.

How to control project costs

If you are faced with a choice, do not believe the marketing promises. Believe the numbers and tests.

Here is our checklist for making a decision:

1. Order a Wi‑Fi site survey. We will come to the site, measure the levels, take into account the terrain, interference from the equipment and give an objective map. Free as part of projects or as a separate service.
2. Calculate five-year total cost of ownership, including equipment, installation, spectrum, licensing, and maintenance.
3. Assess flexibility. Can the infrastructure be relocated when the mine deepens or loading areas move, and who performs that work?
4. Evaluate the tasks. Do you just need to broadcast telemetry “somewhere” or are you building a digital open-pit mine twin with real-time video analytics? In the second case, Wi‑Fi with its speeds is still out of competition.

Conclusion

Connectum works with Hitachi Tropos, private LTE solutions including Altai, and hybrid architectures. We select for site conditions and value rather than the equipment logo.

Need an honest audit without “selling the brand”?

Leave a request for an on-site assessment and measurements. If private LTE is justified, we can design it as well.

Connectum brings 12 years of experience in demanding connectivity projects.

Contact us to discuss infrastructure that supports business continuity, security, and future requirements.

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