Application of 4G LTE wireless broadband and fibre-optic technologies to support mine operations, improve productivity, provide data reliability and improve working conditions

Melbourne, Australia, December 10, 2012 - Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) has been selected by Rio Tinto, a leading international mining group, to implement next generation wireless technology to support its existing operations and future business needs.

Alcatel-Lucent will enhance the speed and capacity of existing critical communications infrastructure for Rio Tinto in Western Australia, extending it further with 4G LTE and fibre-optic technologies. The enhanced connectivity will support the fast delivery of high-bandwidth data for in-pit mining operations, including asset monitoring and other production and safety systems.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide Rio Tinto with a complete end-to-end private 4G LTE network at its West Angelas mine in the Pilbara, the first of its kind in the mining sector. It will also provide a fibre backbone platform and network management solutions, as well as a range of professional services.

Rio Tinto has set industry-leading standards for innovation and new technology in mining and has advanced expansion plans to grow its Pilbara operations to 353 million tonnes by 2015.

Sean O’Halloran, President and Managing Director of Alcatel-Lucent Australia said: “Rio Tinto is at the cutting edge of digital service innovation and deployment, driving new levels of productivity and efficiency. This is the first deployment of its kind and is a result of a collaborative and interactive process with Rio Tinto. It will provide a strong foundation for any future rollouts of private LTE networks to enhance operations at other locations.”

The Pilbara region covers a large remote area in the north of Western Australia. It contains some of the world’s oldest rock formations and most significant iron ore reserves, and is a significant contributor to Australia’s strategic natural resources sector.

About Alcatel-Lucent’s solution for Rio Tinto

Alcatel-Lucent will provide Rio Tinto with a complete end-to-end private 4G LTE network, comprising radio access network (RAN) products including distributed eNodeB base stations operating at 1800MHz, as well as its Evolved Packet Core and Mobile Backhaul capabilities using the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio. Alcatel-Lucent is also providing dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) technology on its 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform, which has the ability to support speeds of up to 100G (100 gigabits per second) to meet growing data demand into the future.  The network will be managed by the Alcatel-Lucent 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM) network management solution. 

Alcatel-Lucent will also provide Rio Tinto with its leading professional services expertise including project management, design, test and maintenance of the solution.