In large-scale industrial environments, network infrastructure is rarely built all at once. 
The change, happens over years, and is caused by several factors, such as operational demands, physical constraints, and safety requirements moreso than a long-term digital strategy. Before creating a modern network infrastrucutre, organizations must first answer a more fundamental question:

What actually exists here today, and can it be used?

Laying the Groundwork for Transformation

Digital transformation is often associated with cloud platforms, automation, and next-generation connectivity. In large-scale industrial environments, however, it rarely begins with deploying something new.

During this project, Neeco’s engineers conducted a field-based assessment to establish a clear view of the existing environment. The team documented subterranean connectivity spanning approximately 14 miles of underground tunnels, along with around half a square mile of above-ground operational space.

Quantifying the scale of the network helped establish a realistic starting point for modernization. By mapping how connectivity was currently delivered across these areas, the assessment created a factual baseline that could guide future improvements.

Engineering Connectivity, for Harsh Environments

Industrial environments present connectivity challenges that differ significantly from traditional enterprise networks. Networks, as we've established here, must often stretch across large physical areas, connect both fixed machinery and mobile equipment, and support a mix of IT systems alongside operational technologies.

During the survey, our team identified more than 70 underground WiFi repeater locations positioned roughly every 1,000 feet to maintain connectivity throughout the mine tunnels. The assessment also revealed mobile underground workstations mounted on sled platforms that move forward as the mining face advances. Each workstation relied on its own DSL modem to maintain a connection to the wider network.

Findings like these illustrate how networks in industrial facilities evolve around operational realities. As mining areas move deeper into the site, parts of the communications infrastructure must move with them. Tunnel geometry can also restrict line-of-sight, making conventional long-distance wireless design difficult.

In practice, sites like this typically rely on a layered mix of fibre infrastructure, industrial switching equipment, wireless repeaters, and legacy communication technologies that have been added over time. While these systems can continue operating reliably, their dependencies and limitations must be clearly understood before any modernization strategy can be developed.

What a Meaningful Assessment Involves

A meaningful infrastructure assessment combines existing documentation with on-site verification and a clear mapping of both physical and logical network components. The goal is not only to understand how the network is designed on paper, but how it actually functions within the operational environment.

During this project, the engineers documented several key elements of the underground communications infrastructure. This included industrial-grade switching equipment, with more than 100 hardened switches deployed throughout the mine, as well as fiber mesh nodes positioned roughly every 1,000 feet to support radio communications and asset tracking.

The assessment also extended beyond the underground network. Environmental monitoring stations located between 1.5 and 3 miles from the main facility were found to rely on manual data collection, requiring personnel to travel to each site to retrieve recorded information.

Additional observations highlighted connectivity challenges at remote operational areas. Two hoist facilities positioned across a nearby highway were experiencing intermittent connectivity, largely due to a bluff obstructing a three-mile line-of-sight path from the main operations center.

Documenting these infrastructure elements and physical constraints, helped establish a clearer understanding of how connectivity supports safety systems, monitoring platforms, and day-to-day operational workflows across the site.

Turning Insight into Intentional Design

A discovery-led approach allows organizations to understand how their existing infrastructure performs in day-to-day operations before making decisions about future investments.

By examining systems on site, it becomes possible to identify hidden dependencies, recurring operational costs, and physical constraints that influence how connectivity is delivered. In industrial operations where infrastructure often evolves alongside production activities, this level of visibility is critical for designing improvements that are both practical and sustainable.

Neeco provides field-based infrastructure surveys for organizations operating complex industrial sites where connectivity supports monitoring systems, safety platforms, and operational technology. In this project, the survey team mapped both the physical and logical network structure, observed how communications systems functioned in real conditions, and identified areas where connectivity could be simplified or strengthened.

The outcome was a set of practical recommendations based on how the network currently supports operations, outlining opportunities to improve reliability, reduce unnecessary complexity, and support future modernization.