# Review of GIS-Based Applications for Mining: Planning, Operation, and Environmental Management
## 4 Mine Operation Using GIS
### Wireless Communication System Design and Management  
In open-pit mines and underground mines, wireless communication systems are installed to collect data pertaining to equipment operation, work safety, and production processes on a web server in real time. Studies have been conducted to design and manage wireless communication systems using web-based GIS and spatial analysis.  
For example, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [35] proposed a digital mine model, which is composed of a data warehouse platform and an application/analysis platform based on web-based GIS technology. When new drill hole data were acquired through the control network system, spatial feature layers could be created in a shape file format based on the coordinate information, and a new spatial data set could be converted into a geodatabase file. This model permitted remote users to search, query, visualize, and analyze mine deposit information without the need for access to the mining site.  
Figure 11: Visualization of the Google Earth-based Optimal Haulage Routing System (GEOHARTS) software for optimal haulage planning in an open-pit mine. (**a**) Optimal haulage routes of empty trucks that ensure the least travel time. (**b**) Parameter settings for haulage route analysis [28].  
[PERSON] and [PERSON] [36] designed a personnel orientation system to monitor the location and status of a miner's location in an underground mine. Web-based GIS technology was adopted to store the attributes and spatial data of individual miners, which are related to the radio frequency identification system, and show a playback of traces of miners in real time through Ethernet communication. The suggested system could enhance worker safety management in underground mines.  
[PERSON] et al. [37] modeled an underground mine monitoring and communication system, which was implemented with a wireless sensor network and a GIS server. ZigBee nodes were installed underground to sense environmental attributes, such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations. Then, the spatiotemporal data were joined and related to the attribute tables of the ZigBee node geographical positions in the GIS server. This study also developed a geoprocessing model that determines the emergency status according to the environmental standard, which is used to control ventilation fans and send ZigBee emergency messages using the Python programming language (ArcPy).  
[PERSON] and [PERSON] [38] suggested a new GIS-based algorithm to design an initial wireless communications system in open-pit mines. The geoprocessing analysis was used for multiple candidate transmitter (wireless access point) selection by considering the probability of further development and environmental factors in the mine. Subsequently, a communication viewshed analysis based on the three-dimensional (3D) partial Fresnel zone was applied to quantitatively estimate the possible area of communication and analyze favorable transmitter combinations. The results revealed that the 3D Fresnel indices were calculated for 15 candidate transmitter locations, and an initial transmitter layout was designed by considering two, three, and four favorable transmitter combinations (Figure 12).