Telstra buys into mining services sector
As part of its ongoing diversification, Telstra has bought into the mining services sector, acquiring the mining communications business of CBO Telecommunications and establishing a new Mining Services division.
According to industry newsletter, Communications Day, Telstra will acquire the network design and consulting services business of the company “which has capabilities across Wi-Fi and mesh technologies and the design, build and maintenance of enterprise grade networks used in mine sites.”
Now may not seem like a good time to be buying into the mining sector. On the contrary, says Telstra. According to Telstra Global Industries Head, David Keenan, the downturn in mining means resources companies are looking at ways of reducing cost, including through the use of new technologies.
That’s code for further automation, supported by communications systems, in particular advanced mobile platforms. Telstra already supplies private Long Term Evolution (LTE) to the mining sector and says it plans to expand this area of operations to create a significant global mining technology product and services business.
