Wifi Revolution

Axcess International (News - Alert), a provider of Micro-Wireless business activity management solutions, has announced the rollout of its long range Micro-Wireless IDs across an initial 30 West Virginia mines. This will help operators to comply with new safety regulations outlined in The Miner Act of 2006.

 

Fit to be carried by the miners in multiple ways including being attached to the miners’ helmets, the miner locating capability is based on Axcess’ Micro-Wireless IDs or tags that come in multiple form factors.

 

As miners enter the mine, the tags turn on automatically and offer regular identifying transmissions to small, low cost receivers throughout the mine system. These transmissions are inherently more robust than Wi-Fi signals operating at 2.4 GHz from ID devices in mines and they are provided in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) approved 315-433 MHz frequency band.

 

The tracking of individual workers and equipment throughout a mine facility is enabled with the help of both local and client server computer user interfaces. Allowing voice communications and tracking data to operate simultaneously along a single radio backbone in the mines, Tunnel Radio has developed a secure embedded wireless data network for the tracking component. System features including a round trip production calculator and supporting reports.

 

After the Sego Mine disaster in West Virginia, Miner safety received nationwide attention and prompted The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (“The Miner Act”) requiring miner safety improvements be implemented by mid-2009. To permit those on the surface to locate persons trapped underground, the Act’s provisions require wireless two-way communications and an electronic tracking system be implemented.

 

“We’ve worked to provide complementary personnel tracking to Tunnel Radio’s systems for over a year,” said Allan Griebenow, President and CEO of Axcess International Inc. “Both a robust personnel tracking capability and a hardened communications backbone are needed to provide the proper solution. Helping to provide improved miner safety is a great use for our system.”

 

 

 

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