There are mines in severa countries in Africa and they are deep and out of the traditional communication network putting miners out of touch with their friends and families even when they are in danger.
However, satellite and fibre-based connectivity services provider in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Gilat Satcom has said today it will provide high-quality voice connectivity to people working in underground mines.
Gilat Satcom’s SuricatePRO service provides coverage extension for standard satellite phones extending telephony underground without loss of signal quality.
Dan Zajicek, CEO of Gilat Satcom said, “Communicating with workers in underground mines has always been problematical. Our system is extremely reliable, cost-effective and market-proven. We are actively reaching out to mining companies in Africa where we know our system will be of great benefit.”
SuricatePRO takes advantage of Foxcom’s leading RF-over-fibre technology so that customers only install outdoor and indoor units connected via fibre (up to 6 km) which immediately gives Iridium satphone users access the Iridium constellation as if they had clear sky view.
Gilat Satcom says a similar service has been operational for underground bunkers operated by military forces around the world for a number of years. It has adapted this system to cope with the harsh conditions found at many mines.