Network Services

Article contributed by ATI partner Amy Brown, Director of Marketing – ViaSat

In the shift toward smart farming, connectivity everywhere is essential.

By 2050, 400 million more people will inhabit the planet, meaning food production will need to increase by 70 percent. As a result, smart farming, is going to be of increasing importance, and farmers everywhere need to be able to use technology to maximize the yield of crop. Not only will smart farming increase the efficiency of farmers via sensor-laden machines connected to the web, but a study by the McKinsey Global Institute predicts it will create up to $11 trillion in economic benefits globally by the year 2025.

To embrace smart farming, farms across America will need fast, reliable internet connections, and with many areas of the country underserved by traditional internet providers, it’s clear that other technologies — such as satellite internet — will come into play.

Connectivity fuels high-tech farming innovations

As agribusiness works to address the world’s growing food needs, companies are developing tools that leverage Internet of Things (IoT) applications to streamline work/field processes. Some of these innovations include:

• Precision Livestock Farming sensors used for monitoring when animals are going into labor, animal movement throughout the fields and alerting farmers through text updates.
• Automatic watering and irrigation, in which IoT-enabled sensors continuously monitor moisture levels and plant health
• Smart and self-driving tractors that use machine learning, GPS and robotics to aid in harvesting and tell sprayers and other farm equipment when to apply specific amounts of fertilizer/herbicides to individual plants

How Viasat Business Internet helps with agribusiness

Viasat is helping push the shift towards smart farming in the right direction by helping rural communities innovate and stay connected.

• As of 2016, 39 percent of rural areas still lacked access to broadband internet, meaning farms in those areas may be limited in their application of smart farming tools. Since satellite internet is available almost anywhere, it enables farmers in even the most remote areas to take advantage of IoT technologies.
• Viasat Business Internet offers high-speed service throughout most of the US, allowing farmers without good terrestrial connectivity options to stay competitive in agribusiness.
• It’s compatible with smart devices (IoT), and prioritized connection for businesses means no interference in critical business applications, such as precision farming, inventory management, credit card processing, high-speed file transfers, Voice-over-IP and email.

Article contributed by ATI partner Amy Brown, Director of Marketing – ViaSat