As our mines introduce more sophisticated production
technology into their operations, the dependence on
communication systems is markedly increased to allow the
management of the technology. However the attention given to
the communication systems has lagged that given the production
equipment - namely LHDs, trucks and jumbos. At times it was
treated as after thought. However, this is changing as the degree of automation
increases in our mines. The communication system is now being
given much more priority and is genuinely becoming a part of the
mine design. The transfer of information around underground, as well as
between the surface and underground, is an essential day-to-day
activity, with the aim being a smoothly run operation. However
the mine environment is far from static, and situations arise - such as breakdowns or other incidents - that require swift
analysis of the issue, its cause and its remedy. Also, as communication systems become more sophisticated
their use in areas, other than direct data flow, become available.
The importance of communication, its development, and new areas being impacted by communication is the subject of this
Paper.