Delivery of first Nexus 16

After nearly two years of design and development Critical Infrastructure Technologies (CiTech) were excited to recently deliver the very first Nexus 16, a self-deploying communications platform, to Atlas Iron. The first of its kind to be operational in the mining industry, globally.

Manufactured in WA by CiTech, the team worked collaboratively with Atlas to create mobile communications infrastructure that is bespoke to their remote site operations.

“The Nexus 16 is an innovative and versatile radio communications tower that is rapidly deployable to remote locations and for critical sectors,” explained CEO CiTech Brenton Scott.

“Designed to be completely autonomous in deployment and operation, the Nexus eliminates the need for cranage, tower riggers and other support services, reducing the risk to the workforce.”

Contained within the dimensions of a standard 20-foot shipping container, it houses a walk-in airconditioned communications room, 130kWh battery reserves, solar arrays, and generators to create a fully self-contained communications solution.

Mr Scott further explained that “in addition to the enhanced safety features, the Nexus 16 has also been designed to reduce its environmental impact. Its self-stabilising legs mean that we don’t need to level the ground or install a concrete pad prior to its deployment. And, with 4.8kW of solar panels there is minimal diesel required during operation.”

The original design was refined to suit the needs of a remote mining operation, with everything from the cabling to the overall functionality engineered to ensure the assets suitability and longevity.

“A key business benefit of the Nexus 16 is its agility and flexibility to support a wide variety of communication missions both immediate and into the future”, commented CEO Mr Scott.

“The Nexus 16 is configured with tetra radio, Wi-Fi, microwave back-haul and extensive CCTV services. It is field upgradable to support the many types of operational communications requirements as the business changes and grows”.

“Having the Nexus 16 operational is testament to the months of extensive collaboration that has occurred across the Atlas and CiTech teams. We’re proud to see the Nexus 16 now operational in the Pilbara”, added Mr Scott.