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Several South African mines have plans to roll out their own power generation capacity over the next few years. A presentation by the Minerals Council at this year’s Mining Indaba showed that at least seven mining companies are either busy developing or considering potential projects. The total electricity that could be generated by these projects […]

OTN Systems designs, develops and markets dedicated fibre-optic communication networks for open cast and underground mines worldwide. The Open Transport Network (OTN) is based on the latest fibre-optic technology and offers you the most reliable, open and easy-to-use system available on the market. To find out more about this article please visit:   https://www.mining-technology.com/contractors/communications/otn-fibre-optic/ Resources:   https://www.mining-technology.com/

A team of South African and Chinese scientists have figure out how to harness multiple quantum patterns of twisted light (from a laser) so that it can be sent across a conventional single mode fibre optic cable (these can usually only support one pattern), which wouldn’t ordinarily be possible without a custom made fibre. To

Anglian Water is trialling the use of fibre-optic cables to find hidden leaks in water mains. Once the fibre optic sensor cable is fed into water pipes, the technology has the potential to continually monitor the pipeline for leaks and other events in the network by creating thousands of virtual sensors along the section of

The statistics show that 25 percent of internet connections in the United States use Fiber Optics. Gone are the days of dial-up internet, as the use of fiber optics spreads worldwide, copper wire connections will also soon be a thing of the past. Things are evolving at a rapid rate and we now have access to the

Fiber Cables or Copper Cables? That is the Question When you are building a network that requires long distances, high speeds, and/or heavy bandwidth connections, there is no question: fiber optic cables win the day. To understand why, and where copper cables may still be the best solution, it’s important to understand the differences between the two.

Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber. Fiber optics is used long-distance and high-performance data networking. Fiber optic cables are used since they hold a number of advantages over copper cables, such as

Vibrations from loud events like lightning pass from the air to the Earth’s surface. Underground fiber optic telecommunications, which carry internet and phone service, can pick up the rumble of thunder underground, an advance that can offer scientists a new way to detect environmental hazards, and image deep inside the Earth. The study, published in

Eskom, which is going to cost the government R150bn over the next decade, is cited as the single-biggest threat to SA’s fortunes. However, with some creativity the power utility could take fast internet to the masses. It is sitting on a fibre gold mine. While the public has every right to be angry and demand

Light has travelled through a wood-based optical fibre, offering the possibility of biodegradable Internet of Things (IoT) sensors or simple moisture monitors. Researchers at VTT made the new fibre, which has a core of wood cellulose modified with ionic solvents developed at the Finnish research centre. The core has a cladding of cellulose acetate. Light