07 Jun 2016

Leversedge Telecom provides Icom IP and digital technology to British Gypsum's mines

Leversedge Telecom, a two-way radio provider, has provided an Icom digital handsets and a repeater in addition to an Icom IP Advanced Radio system for British Gypsum – a large manufacturer of plaster, plasterboard and ceiling solutions. The company is now providing the Icom IP technology to British Gypsum’s five other mines throughout the UK.

The system utilises a network controller and fifty IP100H remote communicators and handsets that provide secure conversation and follow health and safety objectives. British Gypsum also purchased a rugged digital radio solution, which included an IC-FR6100 deployable repeater housed in a peli case to bridge the communication technologies and IC-F4102D Digital UHF hand portables.

Leversedge visited British Gypsum after an enquiry from the East Leake mine in Leicestershire, which has a mining capacity of 500,000 tonnes per annum. This led to a trial of Icom’s IP radio system using the mine's existing WLAN network. It was found that the system could provide eight kilometers of tunnels with 100 per cent coverage and the site now uses a full IP radio system that operates on the mines current wireless LAN (WLAN).

The rollout has replaced a previous analogue system, with the deployment utilising the existing fibre optic network and Wi-Fi access points installed within the mine.