Recently, one of the country’s largest LoRaWAN (Long Range, Wide-Area Network) carriers filed for insolvency leaving many farmers vulnerable, with the very real prospect of not being able to monitor their connected devices.
LoRaWAN is employed regularly within the agriculture industry to deliver low data messaging across extensive distances. However, it’s operation requires a locally positioned communications tower which is the central receiving point for all connected devices such as soil moisture probes, weather stations and tank level sensors and it typically relies on a network provider to host the LoRaWAN.
Novecom’s Agriculture Project Consultant & IoT Specialist David Leask said their SynaptiX ConnectMESH solution, offers an alternative to LoRaWan that is not dependent on network carriers and doesn’t require a centralised tower.
“Our LoRa Mesh solution allows connected devices (nodes) to communicate directly with one another, relaying messages and data without the need for a central tower. The self-organising and self-healing abilities of LoRa Mesh means that the system is more autonomous, resilient, and adaptable,” said David.
SynaptiX ConnectMesh is a fully integrated sensor and LoRa communications network, which provides farmers with the ability to collect real-time data, over extensive distances saving time, resources and costs associated with gathering vital information manually.
The multi-hop capability of LoRa Mesh provides a coverage area that extends well beyond the single link distance, this means that communication links can adapt to changing circumstances, like a node failure. It allows for a level of flexibility and reliability that is needed in agricultural environments, where direct communication can often be obstructed.
The adaptability of SynaptiX ConnectMeESH allows it to be tailored to the specific needs of different farming setups, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of agriculture applications. As the industry continues to face new challenges, technologies like SynaptiX can offer farmers greater control over their operations.
Contact Novecom to discuss effective and affordable data communications solutions covering large properties or agricultural cooperatives.
