Precision Agriculture’s Secret Weapon: Broadband Connectivity
Ever wondered how tractors talk to each other? No, they don’t use ‘Tractor-Beam’ or morse ‘crop’ codes! They use something far less sci-fi but just as fascinating — reliable broadband connectivity. It’s the secret sauce, the game changer that’s set to bring #PrecisionAgriculture right to the cutting edge of technology. And I’ve been lucky enough to dig into this field (pun intended), uncovering how this key ingredient is reshaping the future of farming.
Throughout my career, my most profound moments of inspiration have come from visiting customers, understanding their unique challenges, and examining how technology can help alleviate these pain points. It’s within these exchanges that I can see the future of farming unfold right before my eyes. A recent encounter with an almond farmer offered a stark testament to this. The farmer had outfitted their tractors and sprayers with cameras, using image processing in real-time to diagnose a range of issues. This was not the work of a crew of technicians, but machines working entirely autonomously. This feat of autonomous farming was remarkable and symbolic of a future we are moving towards.
However, I quickly realized the road to this future is not without hurdles. The farmer had previously tested full-power CBRS radios in their dense almond orchards. The result was an underwhelming range of just 0.25 to 0.4 miles, which was a far cry from their operational needs.
It was during this journey that WiFrost Inc’s 4G LTE TV whitespace radios stepped into the limelight. To say these radios made a difference would be an understatement. They enabled the farmer to test up to a mile, even in non-line-of-sight (non-LOS) conditions. It was a moment of triumph, a leap forward that transformed a series of small steps into a significant stride.
But, let’s not forget about data. Each camera installed on the autonomous machines was producing an astonishing 2–3GB of data. This volume of data collection, while invaluable for diagnostics, presented its own set of challenges. Conventional cellular plans are prohibitively expensive and insufficient to handle this magnitude of data. It was clear to me that for such innovation to become mainstream, we needed a more sustainable solution.
That’s where the broader vision of WiFrost Inc comes in. Our focus isn’t merely on overcoming limitations; it’s about making precision agriculture accessible, efficient, and affordable. We are relentlessly working on solutions that aim to tackle the connectivity issues while providing a cost-effective way to handle the massive data generated.
WiFrost end to end system
WiFrost has developed the first and only 4G solution for unlicensed TVWS spectrum. We are now developing our 5G solution based on Open RAN technology. Open RAN is a network architecture that allows operators to use different vendors and components for their radio access network (RAN), instead of relying on proprietary solutions from a single vendor. This enables more flexibility, scalability, interoperability, and cost-efficiency for network deployment and management.
WiFrost’s solution consists of three main components:
- LT100 Radios: These are base stations that can operate in the TVWS spectrum.. They can seamlessly integrate with existing or new 4G core networks.
- TVWS CPE: These are customer premises equipment that can connect to WiFrost’s LT100 Radios using TVWS spectrum. They can provide broadband access to end-user devices via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
- Cloud NMS: This is a cloud-based network management system that simplifies the deployment and operation of WiFrost’s radios by providing built-in 4G core network and TVWS spectrum management functions. It also offers a user-friendly interface that allows customers to view TVWS channel availability and usability maps, plot towers and network topology, monitor network performance and status, and configure network settings.
WiFrost’s 4G private network solution using the unlicensed TVWS spectrum is ideal for precision agriculture applications where end-user devices are fixed (such as robots in farms) or mobile (such as tractors or sprayers) but have limited range (due to CBRS or other wireless technologies). WiFrost’s solution can provide reliable and high-speed wireless connectivity to these devices over large areas, enabling them to use imaging for data collection, analysis, and decision making. This can improve crop yield, quality, efficiency, and sustainability.
We have active trials going on in Washington and California with multiple Ag robotic and autonomous operation companies, and are in active discussions with partners to kick off trials in UK, New Zealand, Colombia and Brazil.
How much TVWS spectrum is available in your area?
In this spirit, I extend an invitation to those in precision agriculture who are facing similar challenges. I am eager to form alliances, share insights, and collaborate on innovative solutions that cater to our industry’s specific needs. Check out the US TV whitespace spectrum map on our website (cloud.wifrost.com) and let’s explore how we could potentially reshape the landscape of precision agriculture together.
