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SATELLITE IoT (SATIoT)


EMBRACE SMART FARMING EVERYWHERE


Eric Ménard, VP of Strategy and Business of Astrocast, explains why innovative Systems Integrators (SIs) and low-cost SatIoT have a key role to play in mitigating the effects of environmental change


for those communities most at risk. It is now vital to deliver ubiquitous access to smart technologies that will mitigate the effects of environmental change, especially in developing nations. One of the biggest issues raised during COP


C


27 was reparation for the three-and-a-half billion people living in countries highly vulnerable to climate impacts. The UN chief insisted that countries need to build on the promises made in COP26 of $40 billion in adaptation support by 2025, with needs estimated to reach more than $300 billion dollars a year by 2030. Adaptation will require far more than


handing over funds to devastated communities. From improving food security and providing clean water to reducing the environmental impact of farming and tracking the risks to life associated with weather events, innovation is now essential. But how can effective change be achieved


without a detailed understanding of the current situation? How can farmers embrace smart farming or agriculture 4.0 practices without the information required to support more effective methods or the ability to remotely monitor livestock, equipment and soil? IoT has a key role to play in supporting


change and innovation. Farmers, for example, are exploring IoT to remotely monitor soil moisture and temperature as part of the move to reduce water consumption while optimising productivity, as well as track animal health and well-being. Environmental tracking is allowing climate experts to monitor the speed with which change is occurring – from


38 OCTOBER 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL


ountries globally are coming together to address the financial implications of climate change and deliver solutions


the reduction in emissions created by farming to the recovery of deep-sea habitats and remote snow, glacier and permafrost monitoring stations in Central Asia. Further, monitoring is transforming lives in countries with limited clean water resources. ‘Access to Water’ has distributed more than 150 million litres of clean water to Senegal, where around 20% of the population has no access to clean water. The charity uses filtration devices that not only treat dirty, polluted or brackish raw water but also collect vital information about water quality and equipment usage to support both proactive maintenance and strategic planning. When 15% of the world is covered by


terrestrial communication networks, far too many of the most vulnerable communities remain unconnected and unable to benefit from this innovation. For SIs, the addition of Satellite connectivity to IoT solutions is hugely powerful, enabling companies to take tried and tested solutions quickly to new markets. But does the business case stand up, especially when the cost/benefit argument is under incredible scrutiny? Most operational IoT applications do not


require the continuous or real-time communication associated with high-cost, power hungry satellite links that have made such solutions completely unaffordable. Instead, critical solutions such as tracking the location of farm animals, measuring the earth moisture content or monitoring the health of vulnerable habitats, can be delivered with lower cost intermittent satellite communication. Minimal power consumption and the ability


to link to solar power are key considerations when attaching an IoT sensor to a water filter, to livestock or farm equipment many miles


from maintenance services. Ten-year battery life is a significant factor in building a powerful business case, as is antenna design and robustness of equipment and battery life. Two- way communication is also valuable, for example if the SI wants to increase the frequency of recording in a specific location from once to twice a day. The model is working. Affordable, reliable


connectivity across the globe is extending the use of intelligent farm control systems. Using sensors that are connected to the cloud, and IoT-based digital agriculture, factors such as weather, temperature, humidity, rainfall data, water level, water quality and soil moisture are helping to transform the effectiveness of farming and maximise plant health. Satellite IoT (SatIoT) is enabling farmers to


digitise animal tracking, so that they can accurately establish the location of their herds, allowing them to better manage livestock. Countries and organisations globally are


actively investing to support change, especially within agriculture. With funding commitments of $8 billion, The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), for example, seeks to accelerate innovation in "climate smart" agriculture especially aimed at small-holder farmers in developing economies, new technologies, agro-ecological research and methane reduction. With the addition of low-cost SatIoT,


innovative IoT solutions previously restricted by the lack of terrestrial/cellular connectivity in locations that are, by their very nature, outside the mainstream areas of network coverage, can now be quickly and effectively delivered to accelerate essential and equitable change.


Astrocast www.astrocast.com


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