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VoWiFi mesh test lets coal-miners make first phonecalls from 300m underground

From "First Wireless Phone Call from inside Coal Mine Enabled by Rajant Corporation, Hannah Engineering, and Sanmina-SCI Collaboration," BusinessWire, 9 January 2007:

"Rajant Corporation, a leading provider of portable networking solutions, Sanmina-SCI, a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider, and Hannah Engineering, a professional consulting engineering firm specializing in civil and mining applications, announced today that they have collaborately demonstrated the first ever wireless phone call from inside a coal mine to outside POTS extensions.

"Calls were made to several different endpoints in multiple states from 1,000 feet underground, at a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) facility near Pittsburgh...

"The system will be deployed as Hannah Engineering's Wireless Integrated Technology System (WITS), which provides a complete end-to-end solution for improved communications within coal mines. The WITS system utilizes the networking capabilities of Rajant and Sanmina-SCI to offer wireless communications and personnel tracking from within the mine by connecting a host of disparate communication devices.

"Rajant BreadCrumb® technology was deployed in the mine, which delivered instant, portable, [WiFi] mesh-networking capabilities to VoIP phones within the mine... The networking components also facilitated tracking of miners. In operational situations, should an emergency situation arise, miners would easily be located within the mine by using Rajant's BCAdmin network monitoring software.

"Sanmina-SCI's Defense and Aerospace Systems Division provided their REDI-COMM® system, which interfaced with the BreadCrumb® network and allowed the miners communication devices to be easily linked with emergency radio systems, other critical communication networks, and POTS phone lines. The Defense and Aerospace Systems Division will soon offer a specialized version of their MP1 phone system that will be uniquely configured and certified for underground use..."

[VoWiFi - 10 January 2007]