Today, the ‘simple’ voice call remains one of the most immediate tools for communication in high-risk and complex environments like mines and onshore and offshore energy sites. Yet, making a voice call in these environments can be more complicated than launching a drone.
How can you turn this around?
Traditional voice solutions don’t work in modern mining and energy environments
Extracting ore, oil or gas involves high-risk activities in remote locations where a standard voice system can’t deliver.
Mobile phones work for some above-ground calls in open spaces, but signals fail underground or in offshore and high-density metal environments. Two-way radio or copper lines provide local coverage but can’t connect to the wider business. Yet fibre is often impractical and expensive for vast distances. Plus, these solutions lack resilience, integration with automation and AI, and the flexibility to evolve with changing safety protocols.
Why can’t a control room talk directly to operational teams?
Fragmented, overlapping voice systems, managed by different business areas, can make it impossible for control centres to talk to field teams.
This creates inefficiency and unnecessary costs; organisations pay for multiple systems or unused licences simply to enable a basic call. Worse, adopting automation and AI is almost impossible if the workforce isn’t on IP voice.
Efficient voice is critical to operational safety
Voice is more than a tool, it’s central to safety and operational continuity.
Realising zero-harm environments demands a consolidated, standardised voice communications technology. Without it, Remote Operating Centres (ROCs) risk losing contact with field teams. Workers may be unable to raise alarms or receive emergency evacuation orders, leading to dangerous rescue delays. Glitches in outdated voice systems can trigger unnecessary evacuations and huge costs by halting production cycles for hours.
Looking to rethink voice to cut complexity and cost, and thrive?
The way forward is clear: consolidate and standardise voice platforms to realise the potential of digitalised operations. Experience shows that this can generate at least 30% in operational savings from day one of implementation.
Private 5G networks will be a cornerstone of this transformation. Their high-speed, low-latency coverage allows companies to replace ‘unstructured voice’, such as workers using personal mobiles to relay critical business information, with secure, end-to-end ‘structured voice’ solutions owned and controlled by the company.
Private 5G networks will also provide a transport layer for IoT, AI and autonomous systems, and ensure seamless voice services, even in remote and underground environments.
Look out for our blog post delving into private 5G networks in mining and energy, coming soon.
Is your voice system ready for essential AI integration?
A modern voice layer unlocks new opportunities for mining and energy companies. Importantly, opening the door to integrating third-party service providers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Equinix, SAP, ServiceNow and more.
The result?
Imagine AI-powered voice assistants supporting hands-free operations so workers can log hazards, receive prompts, share their location and report progress in real time without stopping work. These systems would also automatically generate compliant records, anticipate maintenance requirements and feed into wider analytics.
Think about how always-connected push-to-talk devices could improve emergency responsiveness, while edge-based voice analytics detect fatigue or stress in a worker’s speech, triggering proactive safety interventions.
What if your mining or energy company could integrate any automated machinery to boost human safety and operational efficiency?
It all starts with consolidating and standardising your voice technology.
Delivering ‘always-on’ voice services for mining and energy companies
At BT, we’ve helped blue-chip mining and energy companies address their environments' unique challenges for decades. We understand their operational pressures, safety imperatives and the scale of necessary transformation ahead.
Talk to us about consolidating your voice systems. Get in touch to schedule a call.
