The new LoRaWAN IoT network in Victorian farms will allow getting real-time farm data to improve productivity and efficiency
Image: NNNCo and Agriculture Victoria to deploy IoT technology. (Credit: NNNCo.)
Agriculture Victoria has partnered with Australia’s LoRaWAN operator NNNCo to provide internet of things (IoT) network connectivity to farms in Victoria as part of a trial to test IoT technology on farms.
Under the partnership, NNNCo will work with Agriculture Victoria to deliver the LoRaWAN networks, where thousands of sensors will be deployed to reliably and securely connect and provide users with real-time data on measures for improving farm productivity and efficiency.
The trial will begin in Maffra, Tatura, Serpentine and Birchip regions
The LoRaWAN (Low Range WAN) networks will cover nearly 600 farms and 5,000km² of area. The trial is part of Victoria’s On-Farm IoT Trial across regions surrounding Maffra, Tatura, Serpentine and Birchip.
Victoria Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes said: “We are funding IoT network connectivity in the trial regions to address a lack of connectivity which is often a barrier to farmers realising the potential of IoT and other emerging digital technologies.”
“This announcement is an important step forward in supporting Victorian farmers to harness digital technology to improve the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of their businesses.”
Funding the delivery of IoT network connectivity to each trial region is an important part of the On-Farm IoT Trial to ensure reliable network coverage to farmers participating in the trial. The trial is expected to address key barriers identified by farmers in investing in technology such as lack of access to reliable network coverage.
The new networks in Victoria are expected to become an extension to NNNCo’s growing regional and urban coverage including regional networks developed in partnership with Goanna Ag to cover nearly 60% of Australia’s cotton belt.
NNNCo founder and CEO Rob Zagarella said: “NNNCo’s network and N2N-DL data platform roll-out is a commitment to every farmer in these regions to provide the coverage they need to better manage and run their operations.”
“Farmers now have a broad choice of devices and applications from the growing global IoT ecosystem, including irrigation management and control, and real-time monitoring of soil health and rainfall, cattle movement, farm assets, worker safety, and water tank levels so that they can proactively respond to the needs of the farm.”
LoRa Alliance CEO and chairwoman Donna Moore said: “LoRaWAN has become the defacto standard for IoT in agriculture, as well as smart cities, utilities and other vertical markets globally.”
“This major deployment in Australia is further proof of that providing reliable, secure and low-cost LoRaWAN connectivity to enable IoT solutions will deliver significant productivity and sustainability benefits to farmers and help them to meet the future needs of agriculture.”