In the late 90s and early 2000s, the world was on the cusp of a technological revolution. Connectivity was growing in importance, but the demand was nowhere near what it is today. The idea of millions of interconnected devices was something out of science fiction. Yet, Rajant began its journey, developing technologies that would eventually power this interconnected future. Rajant’s founders understood that mobility and dynamic environments required a new approach to connectivity—one that was robust, adaptable, and capable of scaling with the explosive growth of digital devices across industries like mining.
From autonomous vehicles to advanced asset tracking, continuous, reliable, and mobile connectivity is not just an advantage—it’s an imperative for mining operations. Rajant, with its Kinetic Mesh® technology, has been at the forefront of meeting these demands, evolving its solutions to keep pace with the rapid advancements in mining technology and the ever-growing need for robust connectivity.
MINExpo 2024
This week, thousands of industry professionals will gather in Las Vegas for MINExpo 2024, the largest professional mining conference in the world. As we prepare to demonstrate Rajant’s innovative approach to below-and above-ground connectivity, let us look back at the evolution of Rajant’s suite of products, particularly since the last MINExpo in 2021.
We asked our Global Sales team, who are in constant dialogue with our partners and listening to their feedback, a series of questions on what they see as Rajant’s most significant advancements to our line of mining solutions. Together, their perspectives offer essential guidance that has led our engineering team to adapt to the market’s dynamic demands and remain a benchmark for our mining partners worldwide. These are their responses:
From your perspective, what are Rajant’s most significant product(s) developments for mining since 2021’s MINExpo, and why?
“The Peregrine LTE, given that it supports a hybrid network for those customers using LTE for backhaul while they continue using Peregrine LTE on the mobile units,” said Sagar Chandra, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. “Thus, machine-to-machine communication is enabled with limited infrastructure locations. On the other end of the spectrum, the credit card-sized Cardinal dual-band module provides real-time connectivity for many light vehicles and robots.”
Steven Griggs, Director of Sales Engineering, added: “We’ve made some significant developments in our firmware that improve our ability to excel at autonomous and tele-remote mining operations. This, paired with the Peregrine LTE and our Cardinal [modules] in light-duty vehicles, provides game-changing connectivity throughout a mine. We’ve also adapted our firmware to accommodate Precision Timing Protocol (PtP) for seismic sensors underground. Our systems now enable a host of different applications, which include voice, video, data, and environmental monitoring, on top of autonomy and tele-remote operations underground.”
“I believe our most significant development over the past few years was the upgrades to the ME4 and the LX5—the Hawk and Peregrine BreadCrumb® series,” said Darrell Gillis, Sales Director for Canadian mining operations. “This made more autonomous and high-speed projects possible. Many older Rajant Kinetic Mesh mine installations have already been upgraded to these BreadCrumbs from older models that have been in service for over a decade.”
Where do you see the mining industry headed in the next five years, and what is Rajant doing to ensure it remains at the forefront of innovation to address industry needs?
While many of our team’s responses to our most significant developments touched upon their vision for the industry’s future, these next answers demonstrate Rajant’s forward-thinking and commitment to our global mining partners.
“Tele-remote and autonomy continue to be the most talked about applications mine operators want to plan for, ” said Director of Sales Todd Rigby. “Rajant has been certified by every major equipment OEM as well as every third-party bolt-on solution. Continuous connectivity, industry-leading throughput, and self-optimization [will be critical for the future of mining and what] keeps Rajant Kinetic Mesh customers’ operations running smoothly and efficiently.”
Focusing more on personnel safety, Oscar Velazquez, Director of Latin American partnerships, noted: “The incorporation of real-time applications to improve productivity, as well as the incorporation of systems that improve safety and take care of the health of personnel, is essential for future mining operations. Rajant plays a leading role by offering the most flexible communications solution on the market and complementing it with AI solutions aligned with these trends.”
Chandra added: “Increased interest in safety, plus autonomous and tele-operation systems. We are validated by all the large OEMs for these systems. Regarding safety, we have developed people and equipment tracking solutions, along with our new BlastBlocker,” which helps protect personnel at the mine face from hazardous debris and controlled detonations.
What do you foresee as the next challenge associated with mining operations Rajant will address through its technology solutions?
“Customers are always looking for the perfect blend of performance, reliability, and ease of use,” noted Rigby. “It goes without saying that, in mining, products must be designed for harsh environments. We keep these requirements top-of-mind whenever building new products. We are in a continuous state of development, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. As long as application developers keep demanding more, we’ll keep delivering more.”
Griggs added: “Mining applications will continue to increase their requirement for throughput and bandwidth. The more we can do to make efficient use of available spectrum, paired with LTE hybrid backhaul networks and fast processing, will only continue to enable more advanced future mining applications. Additionally, mining networks don’t have to be numerous and complicated. With advances in Rajant’s product line and firmware, network operators only need one network to drive all their applications.”
Darell Gillis’ answer focuses more on the deployment challenges Rajant partners might face when transitioning to Kinetic Mesh. He said: “With underground mines, it’s being able to use phones/tablets below the surface and at the working face without ripping out all your existing infrastructure. With open-pit mines, it will be having the Kinetic Mesh infrastructure that allows autonomous vehicles.”
Velazquez spoke about the importance of technologies that allow the mining industry to leverage tools like AI.
“Artificial intelligence applications will undoubtedly be a key factor, as local decision-making based on multiple parameters in real-time will be required,” added Velazquez. “But due to the lack of infrastructure, these decisions cannot be sent to the cloud using traditional systems; they would have to be defined locally. This is why the development of Rajant’s Cowbell becomes relevant, as it can resolve these functions locally, offering AI support in the mines without the need for Internet access.”
Is there an example of a mining partnership or project where Rajant technology was utilized that you’re particularly proud of?
“There are numerous examples,” said Chandra. “We will have a fleet-wide rollout of our network with an autonomous fleet; we already support multiple teleoperated drills and dozers; we have easily integrated with LTE and Starlink.”
Velazquez recalled when a customer switched to Rajant and noticed significant market improvements and increased durability of Rajant tech.
“A project where a client had selected mesh infrastructure from another manufacturer for its mine, but soon realized the short lifespan of the equipment installed on the trucks due to vibration and had to replace them frequently,” Velazquez said. “They then decided to change to Rajant Kinetic Mesh for the fleet and are now a loyal partner convinced of the robustness of our products.”
Rajant has become the go-to connectivity solution for so many mining organizations worldwide, something that Rigby touched upon in his response.
“I’m most proud of the number of mining companies who have standardized on Rajant across all their properties,” Rigby said. “This isn’t just a US phenomenon. We see it around the globe, partly because we guarantee next-generation product compatibility. This deserves repeating: no other wireless network manufacturer offers next-gen compatibility, let alone guarantees it. Our foundational belief is that customers prefer to upgrade when it is convenient for them as opposed to when it is convenient for us.”
Thank You to Rajant’s Global Team
Rajant’s success over the past two decades wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and hard work of its global sales team. From forging new partnerships to ensuring our mining partners always have the support they need, the sales team has played a crucial role in Rajant’s innovative direction and continued success. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our mission and for providing your insight.
Continued Innovation beyond MINExpo
Rajant’s work in the global mining industry has been marked by a relentless drive to innovate and a keen understanding of our customers’ needs. As the world continues to evolve, so too will Rajant’s solutions. Our company remains committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring its Kinetic Mesh technology and supporting solutions remain the gold standard for mobile, dynamic, and secure communications for mines everywhere, open-pit or underground.
Rajant has consistently responded to the demands of an increasingly connected world with strategic improvements and cutting-edge innovations. From enhanced BreadCrumb nodes to our advanced edge computing platform to IoT device integration, Rajant continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible by understanding what’s needed. As we look to the future, our commitment to innovation guarantees that Rajant will remain a leader in telecommunications and a trusted provider of mining operations of all sizes.