The latest research study conducted by Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, launched today, found that the global mining sector is undergoing an Internet of Things (IoT) revolution with respondents reporting significant increases in adoption of connected technologies.
Specialist market research company Vanson Bourne was employed by Inmarsat to interview 200 respondents with either decision-making or influencing responsibilities for IoT-related initiatives at organisations numbering over 500 personnel. Mining organisations reported successes in implementing projects to safeguard workers via remote tracking, monitor drilling and observe acid mine drainage remotely. However, despite this progress, a range of challenges are hindering the sector’s ability to reap the rewards that IoT has to offer.
The Rise of IoT in Mining is the third IoT-focused research project undertaken by Inmarsat and focuses on the use of, attitude to and predictions for IoT across the global mining sector. As part of the initiative Inmarsat is also offering mining companies the opportunity to measure their IoT readiness versus the 200 respondents to the survey, using their free online IoT maturity tool.
According to the research, most organisations (65%) have fully deployed at least one IoT project, while 33% are trialling or have trialled a project, with only 2% of respondents not having begun an IoT project. These findings echo the predictions reported in Inmarsat’s 2018 mining research, where only 2% had fully deployed an IoT solution, 29% were trialling one and 69% were planning on beginning IoT projects within the next two years. Noticeably, there is a considerable geographical variance in IoT adoption and maturity across different regions, with 98% of North American respondents having successfully deployed IoT-enabled projects, compared with only 50% in Africa and 38% in South America.
While this increase in full deployments represents progress, the use cases and data management are on the simple side and there are many challenges to overcome if the mining industry is to fully realise the potential of IoT, particularly in regard to using it as driver for organisational change. A lack of skills, investment and cultural challenges, as well as unreliable connectivity, patchy cybersecurity processes and under developed data management processes were also highlighted in the report and will all need to remedied in the coming years.
Commenting on the study, Joe Carr, Global Mining Director at Inmarsat said: “Two years on from our last research Inmarsat wanted to get a measure of what had changed in the mining industry. IoT has begun to take a foothold in the sector with increased rates of adoption across the board. What we discovered was an industry that, historically, has been slow to adopt radical ideas now beginning to embrace the use of IoT, but still working out how to make the most of it.”
The mining industry faces significant challenges around skills, security, connectivity, investment and data management and these will need to be addressed for the industry to progress past a point of using IoT in a simple, siloed capacity. Despite the challenges being faced, mining organisations are looking to increase their investment in IoT and are overwhelmingly positive about the value of that the IoT can bring to their operations and the benefits it is either already delivering or will deliver in the future.
Carr concluded: “We want to help drive IoT adoption in the mining sector and encourage mining companies to plot a route to IoT success using our free online IoT Maturity Tool. The tool allows miners to understand their progress in IoT adoption across a number of areas and to compare this with the 200 respondents who contributed to our research. Using these findings miners can start to develop a roadmap for improvement and provide a tangible proof point for influencing internal conversations.”
To use the IoT Maturity tool and download the full report – ‘The Rise of IoT in Mining’ – visit our Insights area.
Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world’s most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat’s long-established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.
The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world’s most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.
Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.
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Inmarsat Enterprise is the leading global provider of satellite-enabled managed connectivity services for land-based organisations. We are enabling the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and helping transform business outcomes across a diverse set of sectors, including agriculture, aid and NGO, media, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, transport and utilities.
Jonathan Sinnatt/Matthew Knowles
Corporate Communications
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James Grisbrook
Director of Marketing & Communications – Enterprise
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Christian Stevens/ Connor O’Keefe
Spreckley
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