Sigma Lithium, Cummins, and Tesla have all recently deployed private 5G networks across mining projects, engine plants, and factories respectively.

Sigma Lithium deploys private LTE network

Canada-based Sigma Lithium, a lithium mining firm, plans to deploy a private LTE network from Nokia at a mine in Brazil.

The network will be deployed at the Grota do Cirlio lithium project in Minas Gerais, southeast Brazil.

The company said the LTE network, provided by Nokia, will improve safety and operational efficiency. Local telecoms system integrator Alcon Engenharia de Sistemas is handling the project.

Finnish firm Nokia will supply Sigma Lithium with its Digital Automation Cloud private cellular system, as part of a broader Nokia ONE bundle, to cover the mining operations at the Xuxa mine.

The deployment will see workers being supplied with ruggedized devices, industrial Edge computing, and applications to attach to the LTE network.

Marcelo Marihno, COO at Sigma Lithium, said: “We are dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicles in the most sustainable manner. We are very excited to work with Nokia and Alcon to enhance worker safety and efficiency while continuing to expand our exploration of a metal critical to the world’s energy transition.”

Sigma Lithium is developing an open pit mine and lithium concentrator at the site in three phases. The project will respond to rising demand for lithium in the use of batteries for electric vehicles, solar energy storage, and electronic devices.

The Grota do Cirilo project spans 27 mineral ‘rights’ leading to underground lithium deposits and spans an area of 191 sq km.

The first phase began in Q2 of last year and focused on mining the Xuxa lithium deposit, producing an annual capacity of 270,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate.

This capacity is expected to be doubled in phase 2; the mining of the Barreiro deposit, set to begin in 2027.

The company said its lithium plant will use 100 percent renewable energy, 100 percent recycled water, and 100 percent dry-stacked tailings.

Cummins deploys Verizon private 5G at New York engine plant

Commercial truck engine manufacturer Cummins has signed a deal with Verizon to deploy private 5G and a neutral host network at its Jamestown Engine Plant in Lakewood, New York.

Verizon will operate the network for the engine plant, but accommodate other mobile network operators so users and employees can reach their designated carrier’s network from inside the plant. This system is similar to the deployments Verizon has previously deployed at sports stadiums.

Verizon’s private 5G network will only be accessible to registered devices. It will operate on Verizon licensed spectrum such as C-band, millimeter wave, and Verizon-provisioned infrastructure inside the facility.

The combined network will provide mobile connectivity for the one million square feet of industrial space, one million square feet of outdoor space, and the 1,500 employees who work at the site, said the operator.

Ericsson is the platform provider to Verizon Business for the network buildout.

Shawn Hricko, plant manager at Jamestown Engine Plant, said: “The improved functionality will enable team members to communicate with one another more effectively, allow for us to share more data across equipment, and enable our ability to implement mobile industrial robots.”

The company added it expects to deploy private cellular for additional sites in the future.

Tesla deploys private 5G at its Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany

Tesla announced it has deployed a private 5G network at Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany.

In a recent video posted on X, a member of the Grunheide plant’s IT infrastructure team said private 5G increases reliability for all of its machines.

Another employee on the network team added that the network allows Tesla to use the internet across large distances, especially in crucial areas outside of the factory.

In the video, the company also said it was one of the first companies to use private 5G in its manufacturing facilities.