{"id":648,"date":"2026-10-29T16:49:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.circlesontv.com\/blog\/?p=648"},"modified":"2026-10-29T16:49:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:49:23","slug":"can-an-underground-net-be-used-for-asset-tracking-4a02-3ebeb9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.circlesontv.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/29\/can-an-underground-net-be-used-for-asset-tracking-4a02-3ebeb9\/","title":{"rendered":"Can an Underground Net be used for asset tracking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, when I got a call from a mining client asking if our underground wireless network could help them track high-value drill bits and custom pipeline components 800 meters below the surface, I\u2019ll admit I didn\u2019t see it coming. At the time, our team was known for building and maintaining robust, low-latency underground communication systems for remote sites\u2014mostly for voice calls and sensor data, like seismic readings and ventilation flow. We\u2019d spent years troubleshooting dead zones in abandoned mine tunnels, refining signal propagation through compacted rock, and making sure our hardware could handle temperatures that swing from -10\u00b0C to 45\u00b0C without dropping a connection. Asset tracking felt like a side project, something that might work for surface warehouses, not a space where GPS signals are just a faint static blip and tag batteries die in weeks from constant rock interference. But that client wasn\u2019t the only one asking. Over the next two years, we started getting the same question from construction crews digging deep metro tunnels, oil and gas teams working offshore platforms that sit below sea level, even a few agricultural operations with deep irrigation networks. So we dug into the data, ran our own tests, and built out a tracking module for our underground network. Now, we\u2019re regularly answering: Can an underground net be used for asset tracking? The short answer is yes\u2014but it\u2019s not the same as slapping a Bluetooth tag on a forklift. Let\u2019s break down why it works, what makes it different from surface tracking, and why it\u2019s actually more reliable than most people think. Underground Net<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First, I need to clear up the biggest myth around underground asset tracking: that you need GPS. Anyone who\u2019s ever walked into a parking garage or a basement and watched their phone lose location services knows GPS doesn\u2019t work 10 meters below ground, let alone 1,000. The issue is radio frequency (RF) absorption\u2014radio waves bounce off dense materials like rock, concrete, and salt, and their signal strength drops exponentially the deeper you go. Traditional RFID tags, the ones used for retail inventory, only work a few meters away, and their small antennas can\u2019t generate enough power to punch through compacted earth. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags have a similar range, and their batteries don\u2019t last long when you\u2019re trying to push a signal through rock. Satellite-based tags? They might work in very shallow tunnels, but any depth beyond 50 meters and the signal doesn\u2019t penetrate. That\u2019s where our underground net comes in.<\/p>\n

Our network is built using a mesh of rugged access points (APs) that we install every 300 to 500 meters along a tunnel or excavation site. These APs aren\u2019t the flat, boxy ones you see in an office\u2014they\u2019re reinforced with powder-coated steel, have built-in heat and humidity regulation, and use a frequency band tuned specifically for underground RF propagation: 900 MHz. Lower frequencies travel farther through dense materials than higher ones, which is why AM radio reaches farther than FM. That 900 MHz signal can travel up to 100 meters between APs in dry rock, and even 50 meters in wet, clay-heavy ground, without needing a repeater. We also designed the network to handle \u201cshadow zones\u201d common in excavations\u2014when a tunnel turns a corner, or a pile of debris blocks the direct line between two APs, the mesh automatically routes signals around the obstruction instead of dropping them. That\u2019s the core of the underground net\u2019s strength: it\u2019s not a point-to-point system, it\u2019s a flexible, adaptive network that works with the terrain, not against it.<\/p>\n

Now, how does that connect to asset tracking? We attach small, low-profile tags (we call them TrackTiles) to any asset that needs monitoring: drill bits, pipeline sections, generator parts, even hard hats for personnel tracking. The TrackTiles don\u2019t send out a constant, powerful signal\u2014they operate on a passive (or semi-passive) system, meaning they only \u201cwake up\u201d when they\u2019re within range of an underground AP. When an AP detects a TrackTile, it logs the tag\u2019s unique ID and the time of the signal, then sends that data back to the network\u2019s central controller on the surface. Using time-difference of arrival (TDOA) and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) calculations, the controller can pinpoint the exact location of the asset within 2 to 5 meters. That\u2019s precise enough to tell you which side of a 1,000-meter long tunnel a drill bit is on, not just the general area.<\/p>\n

We tested this system last year at a limestone mine in Western Kentucky that had been losing 12 high-value drill bits a year\u2014each worth around $15,000. The mine\u2019s operators would waste hours digging through old tunnels and waste rock piles to find missing bits, and sometimes they\u2019d have to abandon a whole section of tunnel because they couldn\u2019t locate the bit in time. We installed our APs along the mine\u2019s 1.2-mile main tunnel and attached TrackTiles to all new drill bits. For the first six months, the system worked seamlessly: when a bit was left in a secondary tunnel after a shift, the operators could pull up the asset map on their surface dashboard and see exactly where it was. No more digging blind. They only misplaced one bit that year, and found it in 15 minutes instead of three days. That\u2019s not a win for our network\u2014that\u2019s a win for cutting operational costs by over $100,000 a year for that single client.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just mining. We also rolled out a similar system for a metro construction project in Toronto, where crews were tracking pre-fabricated tunnel segments that weighed 50 tons each and were moved through a 1.5-kilometer deep excavation. Before our underground net, crews would use surface GPS to track the segments, but once they were lowered into the tunnel, they lost all location data. Sometimes segments would be stored in temporary pockets for weeks, and the crew would misplace them, leading to delays in tunnel lining. With our system, the APs were installed along the tunnel\u2019s guide rails, and the TrackTiles were mounted to each segment\u2019s transport cart. The site manager can now pull up a real-time map and see exactly how many segments are in the tunnel, where they are, and when they\u2019ll be ready for installation. That project is on track to finish two weeks ahead of schedule, which saves them an estimated $2 million in late fees.<\/p>\n

Of course, this system isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all. We\u2019ve learned a lot about the limitations over the past three years. For example, in sites with very high salt content\u2014like salt mines or offshore oil platforms\u2014the 900 MHz signal absorbs faster, so we have to adjust AP spacing to every 200 meters instead of 500. That\u2019s a small tweak, but it means the network is tailored to the specific environment, not a generic setup. We also have a maximum depth limit: at 1,500 meters below ground, even our strongest APs can\u2019t push a signal far enough without adding repeaters. But for most sites\u2014mines, construction tunnels up to 1,200 meters, deep irrigation systems, even the basements of large urban buildings\u2014our network works perfectly.<\/p>\n

Another big advantage over other tracking systems on the market is the network\u2019s reliability. Our underground APs run on redundant power sources\u2014backup batteries that last 72 hours if the main power fails, which is common in sites where digging can accidentally cut power lines. The mesh network automatically reroutes data if an AP goes down, so even if one unit fails, the rest of the system keeps working. That\u2019s critical for sites where safety is non-negotiable: if a worker is trapped, the network can still track their hard hat\u2019s TrackTile even if power is out, which is a huge benefit over BLE or GPS systems that die as soon as power is lost.<\/p>\n

I often get asked if the tags are expensive. The TrackTiles themselves are low-cost\u2014each is around $50, and they have a battery life of up to five years, which means you don\u2019t have to replace them every few months. The APs are a one-time investment, and we offer flexible leasing options for clients who don\u2019t want to pay upfront. For most clients, the ROI is within 12 to 18 months, from reduced asset loss, less time spent searching for parts, and fewer operational delays.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s be honest, there are still gaps we\u2019re working on. Right now, we can\u2019t track assets in very small, confined spaces\u2014like narrow mine side tunnels less than 10 meters wide\u2014because the signal bounces too much, making location calculations less precise. We\u2019re testing a new tag that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to fix that, which will improve accuracy to within 1 meter in tight spaces. We\u2019re also working on integrating with industrial IoT (IIoT) platforms, so clients can link asset tracking data to other systems, like inventory management or predictive maintenance for heavy machinery.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the answer to \u201cCan an underground net be used for asset tracking?\u201d is a resounding yes\u2014but not because it\u2019s a trendy new tech. It\u2019s because it\u2019s built for the environment where other systems fail. GPS can\u2019t get past rock, Bluetooth tags die too fast in deep dust, RFID is too short range, but our underground net is designed to work in the messy, tough spaces where work happens. We didn\u2019t set out to be an asset tracking company; we set out to solve a problem our clients were already asking about. And that\u2019s the kind of solution that sticks\u2014one that\u2019s tested in the real world, not just a lab.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re managing a site where you lose assets, waste time searching for parts, or struggle with location data below ground, we\u2019ve got a solution tailored to your needs. Whether you\u2019re a mining operation, construction crew, or industrial facility, our team can run a free site assessment to see how our underground net can reduce your operational costs and improve safety. Contact us to discuss your asset tracking requirements and learn more about custom solutions for your site.<\/p>\n

Safety Fence<\/a> References<\/p>\n

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  1. International Society of Automation (ISA). (2021). Underground RF Propagation for Industrial IoT Applications. ISA Transactions, Vol. 112, pp. 245-256.<\/li>\n
  2. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). (2022). IoT and Asset Tracking in Underground Mining. MSHA Technical Report 2022-04.<\/li>\n
  3. IEEE Communications Society. (2020). Mesh Network Design for Dense, Low-Latency Underground Environments. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Vol. 19, No. 10, pp. 6789-6802.<\/li>\n
  4. Construction Industry Institute (CII). (2023). Deep Tunnel Project Efficiency: The Role of Underground Asset Tracking. CII Research Report 375.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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