Moscow, 7 April 2025 — Nornickel announces the launch of a pilot project to test a dedicated Private LTE (pLTE) wireless network in Monchegorsk. A private mobile network is more secure than a public one, preventing data leaks and leveraging pLTE-based services to improve production efficiency. Nornickel is considering the future use of this technology at its other operations.

Private LTE (pLTE) is a local mobile communication network that is deployed and managed within a company or at a specific facility. It is based on the same technology as public LTE networks but is not connected to public infrastructure. This isolation is a key advantage, as traffic on a corporate pLTE network is protected from commercial network interference, which prevents data leaks.

The pLTE network core is integrated with Kola MMC’s existing data network. Radio coverage is provided by a mobile operator's base stations located on the company's industrial site.

The pilot project is being implemented with a telecom operator that has three base stations at the Kola MMC site in Monchegorsk. Two of these are partially segmented to transmit data in a secure mode via the pLTE network. A single network core can support up to 2,000 subscribers, fully meeting the company’s current needs.

The pLTE network eliminates the need to lay and maintain a large number of wired communication lines, thus avoiding the cost of deploying expensive wired infrastructure.

“To set up a wired network in even one department, you have to lay several kilometres of cables, which is quite costly,” said Vitaly Moshnikov, Chief Specialist of the IT Infrastructure Management Department at Kola MMC. “With the introduction of pLTE, we will no longer have this ‘web’ of networks. For example, we will be able to easily move a video camera, sensor, or information display from one place to another. This will significantly simplify installation and make our work more flexible and efficient.”

The network can provide data transmission throughout the entire facility, including remote areas, solving the problem of unstable connectivity and the lack of wired communications in certain locations.

pLTE technology holds great potential for implementing digital solutions in the mining and metals industry. Since December 2024, various services have been tested on the network across the company’s divisions to optimise processes at Kola MMC and increase the speed and efficiency of operations. For instance, pilot services include applications for automated weight control, equipment maintenance and repair (MRO), radio communications, and pLTE-based video surveillance. The network's high bandwidth and low latency enable real-time, high-resolution video streaming. These advantages are key to improving the efficiency of production process monitoring and enhancing the company's security.

Currently, the pLTE network coverage area is about 80% of the industrial site. In the next phase, the company plans to connect the industrial site in Zapolyarny to the network core and test it there.

Following the pilot project, Nornickel will consider the full-scale implementation of this technology at Kola MMC and its potential expansion to other Nornickel operations.

Nornickel pilots a private LTE network at Kola MMC