Workshops Minerals & Mining PQC for Remote Site Communications in Mining

Minerals & Mining Full Day or Half Day Workshop

PQC for Remote Site Communications in Mining

This workshop equips mining IT/OT managers and communications engineers with a practical PQC migration plan for bandwidth-constrained remote site networks, from satellite links to underground mesh.

Full day (6 hours) or half day

In person or online

Max 30 delegates

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Workshop Description

For mining IT/OT managers, communications engineers, and remote operations leads. Covers PQC migration for VSAT satellite links, underground mesh networks, drone telemetry, and IoT sensor networks. Addresses ML-KEM key size versus bandwidth constraints, NIST FIPS 203/204/205/206 algorithm selection for constrained mining devices, and vendor readiness assessment.

Remote mining operations depend on communications infrastructure that is simultaneously critical and constrained. VSAT satellite links provide the primary data path for sites hundreds of kilometres from terrestrial fibre. Underground operations rely on leaky feeder, WiFi mesh, or private LTE/5G networks with limited bandwidth and intermittent connectivity. Surface operations coordinate autonomous haul trucks, drone surveys, and thousands of IoT sensors across open-pit footprints spanning several square kilometres. Every one of these communication links uses cryptographic protocols (TLS, IPsec, DTLS) with key exchange and authentication algorithms that quantum computers will break. The challenge specific to mining is that PQC algorithms are larger than their classical predecessors. ML-KEM-768 produces 1,568-byte ciphertexts. ML-DSA-65 signatures are 3,309 bytes. On a 128 kbps VSAT return channel or a 127-byte LoRaWAN MTU, these sizes have operational consequences. This workshop maps the PQC overhead against your actual link budgets, identifies which communication paths need architectural changes, and builds a migration sequence that maintains operational continuity.

What participants cover

VSAT and satellite link encryption: PQC impact on DVB-S2X, LEO mesh (Starlink/OneWeb), and HF/VHF radio fallback links with bandwidth and latency analysis
Underground and surface mesh networks: PQC for leaky feeder, WiFi 6/6E, private LTE/5G in tunnels, autonomous haul truck fleet management, and drone telemetry
ML-KEM key size versus mining MTU: fragmentation strategies for 1,568-byte ciphertexts on LoRaWAN (127 bytes), underground mesh, and constrained IoT sensor networks
NIST FIPS algorithm selection: ML-KEM-512/768/1024 tiering by link capability, ML-DSA versus SLH-DSA for device CPU constraints, FN-DSA for compact drone telemetry signatures
Vendor readiness assessment: VSAT providers (Hughes, Viasat, SES), mining mesh vendors (Rajant, Newtrax/Sandvik), and IoT platform PQC migration timelines
Procurement strategy: incorporating NIST FIPS 203/204/205 requirements into mining communications RFPs and lifecycle costing for PQC-capable infrastructure

Preliminary Agenda

Full-day session structure with scheduled breaks. Content is configurable to your site communications architecture, bandwidth constraints, and device fleet.

#	Session	Topics
1	Remote Mining Communications Architecture and Cryptographic ExposureHow quantum threats intersect bandwidth-constrained, latency-tolerant mining networks
2	Satellite and VSAT Link EncryptionPQC migration for satellite-dependent mining communications	VSAT hub-spoke architectures: DVB-S2X encryption dependencies, TLS tunnel overhead, and ML-KEM key exchange impact on C-band and Ku-band link budgets LEO satellite mesh (Starlink, OneWeb): IPsec tunnel PQC migration, handover frequency impact on key renegotiation overhead, and ML-KEM-768 versus ML-KEM-512 trade-offs HF/VHF radio fallback: ALE (Automatic Link Establishment) protocol limitations, minimal-bandwidth PQC options, and SLH-DSA for authenticated emergency communications
Break, after 50 min
3	Underground and Surface Mesh NetworksPQC for constrained mining network topologies	Underground mesh communications: leaky feeder, WiFi 6/6E, and LTE/5G private networks in tunnels with constrained bandwidth and intermittent connectivity Surface mesh and drone telemetry: PQC for autonomous haul truck fleet management, drone survey data links, and IoT sensor networks across large open-pit operations ML-KEM key size impact: 1,568-byte ML-KEM-768 ciphertext versus typical mining IoT MTU sizes (127-256 bytes for LoRaWAN, 1,500 bytes for Ethernet), fragmentation strategies
4	Interactive Demonstration: Remote Comms PQC AssessmentFull-day format only	Facilitator-led walkthrough: mapping cryptographic dependencies across a representative remote mining site communications architecture (VSAT, underground mesh, surface IoT, drone links) Calculating PQC overhead impact: key exchange latency, ciphertext size versus available bandwidth, and identifying which links cannot support ML-KEM-768 without architectural changes Delegates discuss: applying the assessment to their own site communications, identifying highest-risk links and practical migration sequencing
Break, after 60 min
5	NIST FIPS Algorithm Selection for Mining CommunicationsChoosing the right PQC algorithms for bandwidth and compute constraints	FIPS 203 (ML-KEM) for key exchange: ML-KEM-512 for severely constrained links (underground IoT), ML-KEM-768 for standard mining communications, ML-KEM-1024 for inter-site backbone FIPS 204 (ML-DSA) and FIPS 205 (SLH-DSA): signature scheme selection based on verification speed, signature size, and mining device CPU capability (ARM Cortex-M versus x86) Draft FIPS 206 (FN-DSA): compact signatures for bandwidth-constrained drone telemetry and sensor networks where ML-DSA signature overhead is prohibitive
6	Vendor Readiness and Procurement StrategyEngaging mining communications vendors on PQC migration timelines	VSAT vendor PQC roadmaps: Hughes, Viasat, SES, and Inmarsat enterprise gateway migration timelines and customer-side terminal firmware update mechanisms Mining IoT and mesh vendor assessment: Rajant, Cisco, Ericsson Private Networks, and Newtrax/Sandvik for underground communications PQC readiness Procurement specifications: incorporating NIST FIPS 203/204/205 requirements into mining communications RFPs, lifecycle costing for PQC-capable infrastructure
7	Q&A and Migration Roadmap Planning

Designed and Delivered By

Workshops are designed and delivered by QSECDEF in collaboration with sector specialists. All facilitators have direct experience in both quantum technologies and minerals & mining systems.

QSECDEF brings world-leading expertise in post-quantum cryptography, quantum computing strategy, and defence-grade security assessment. Our advisory membership spans 600+ organisations and 1,200+ professionals working at the intersection of quantum technologies and critical infrastructure security.

Minerals & Mining workshops are co-delivered with sector specialists who bring direct operational experience in minerals & mining organisations. This ensures workshop content is grounded in regulatory, operational, and technical realities specific to the sector.

Commission This Workshop

Sessions are configured around your site communications architecture, satellite link budgets, underground network topology, and device fleet composition. Get in touch to discuss requirements and schedule a date.

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