Rio Tinto, a international mining group, has selected Alcatel-Lucent to implement LTE 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 LTE and fibre-optic technologies. 

Under the agreement, 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 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.

The company will also provide a fibre backbone platform and network management solutions, as well as a range of professional services.