Trucks carrying 100 tonnes of material are critical to the efficiency of the site and are in use 24 hours a day. Unforeseen breakdowns were having a major impact on operations and were incredibly expensive.

The solution was to create a wireless network around the mine with connectivity devices on the trucks. This allowed the mine to monitor the health of the trucks and take pre-emptive action to a failing truck, raising efficiency and making huge cost savings for the mine.

The department were unsure whether a highly secure mobile communications capability would function securely over satellite comms. The team set up a trial which showed a flaw in the encryption and how to resolve it. The team then designed and built a global mobile satellite network used by the US Secretary of State and associated officials.

A bespoke, encrypted microwave network was implemented over the city of Al Ayn, allowing the Traffic Management Centre to monitor and adjust traffic light sequencing as required across the city. The solution reduced accidents, improved traffic flows and allowed law enforcement to track and trace unlawful drivers.