Boldyn and Nokia have deployed a private 5G network at Finland’s Callio FutureMINE, one of Europe’s deepest mining environments and a testbed for new technologies. Various industrial tech collaborators are also involved.
In sum – what to know:
Testbed – private 5G network at underground Callio mine in Finland is for industrial firms to test new safety and automation solutions.
Applications – the new system, based on Nokia’s MPW product, supports remote vehicle control and digital twin mapping apps.
Collaboration – the Boldyn / Nokia partnership hails from the Edzcom days; the deployment puts them at the heart of Industry 4.0 co-creation work.
Boldyn Networks has deployed a private 5G network at the Callio FutureMINE site in Pyhäjärvi, Finland. Nokia is providing the network itself, in the form of its large-scale Modular Private Wireless (MPW) product, plus support for the design and deployment of the infrastructure. The system covers multiple underground levels and a tunnel network that stretches several kilometres, reaching depths of up to 1.5 kilometres.
The Callio site is one of Europe’s deepest mines. It operated as a copper mine for over 60 years, but has since been repurposed as a “real-world mining environment” to test new mining innovation, where technology companies can validate their equipment. As such, the setup is presumably as valuable for Boldyn and Nokia to test their own systems for deployment in harsh mining conditions. The mining industry is a key segment for private 5G networks.
Henrik Kiviniemi, managing director at Callio in Pyhäjärvi, said: “With the right technology, operations can be fully managed from the surface, making mining not only smarter, but significantly safer. Our mission is to transform this unique site into a world-class testbed… In mining, connectivity is critical. Our private 5G network delivers real-time data and ultra-low latency, ensuring every person and asset is visible and protected.”
He added: “Downtime is expensive. Manual processes are risky. With private 5G, we’re solving both.” It is a Finnish affair, essentially; Boldyn acquired local private 5G specialist Edzcom, formerly Ukkoverkot, from Spanish tower company Cellnex in March last year. The firm, an old familiar of Nokia’s from the early days of private cellular (LTE), is now a mainstay of Boldyn’s developing private 5G work in the Industry 4.0 space.
Mining companies – like manufacturing businesses, port and logistics operators, oil and gas companies, and utility companies, notably – have started to deploy industrial-grade private 5G networks in earnest, with various examples of multi-site deployments across international geographies. The setup in Finland is pegged for safety and efficiency applications, plus straight voice comms. The private 5G network replaces outdated walkie-talkie systems.
“Workers can now communicate clearly and instantly across all mine levels, even in the most remote areas and from above ground. This significantly improves safety, coordination, and response times in critical situations,” said a statement. It is also being used for remote operation of autonomous vehicles and machinery from the surface, reducing the need for personnel to work in hazardous underground conditions.
The Callio testbed also affords an opportunity for both firms to work more closely with industrial equipment makers. Mining manufacturer Normet is testing autonomous vehicles at the site. Mark Ryan, vice president of equipment and new technology at Normet, suggested as much as 90 percent of underground workers will reside at the surface of the mine in “a fully automated future” – as technical challenges and safety issues grow as companies go deeper.
“The safest and most efficient path forward is removing people from those environments,” he said. “But that requires dedicated 5G networks. Open Wi-Fi and shared networks don’t work reliably underground. You get latency issues, performance drops – so having a private network built for these processes is a must.” Besides, software company Cybercube is testing 3D mapping, real-time positioning, and operational control – where GPS is unavailable.
It supplies a digital twin of the mine to monitor the location of personnel, vehicles, and equipment, and enhance situational awareness, safety, and operational efficiency. Aki Ruotsalainen, director at the firm, said: “We can visualize and control everything in real time…. It’s a huge leap in safety and operational awareness. Being able to test this in real conditions on a dedicated network has been transformational in the development of our solution.”
Jaakko Kuukka, country manager for Boldyn in the Nordics region, commented: “The network delivers seamless connectivity and full coverage across multiple underground mining levels. It’s the backbone of Callio’s vision for a fully automated test mine, supporting everything from tele-remote vehicles to real-time control of underground machinery. We’re enabling mining companies to test and develop next-generation solutions against a reliable network in realistic conditions, without disrupting live operations.”
Michael Aspinall, head of enterprise campus edge sales for Nokia in Europe, said: “Mining is one of the toughest environments on earth for connectivity, and private 5G is proving to be a game-changer. Together with Boldyn Networks, we are enabling Callio to demonstrate how secure, reliable, and high-performance networks can transform underground operations – making them safer, more sustainable, and more efficient. This deployment underscores Nokia’s leadership in delivering industrial-grade private wireless networks that power the future of critical industries.”
Boldyn and Nokia deploy private 5G for remote control at Finnish mining testbed