IoT and Agriculture: Revolutionising Precision Farming

At the last count, the Zest4 IoT World SIM solution is serving 40,000 square metres of agricultural land for over 150 customers and helping to make a real difference in precision farming technology.

The Zest4 IoT World SIM is aiding the remote monitoring of different crop types including vegetables, fruits, olives and much more.

By using software and sensors to collect data including environmental factors, leaf wetness, and soil characteristics, the farming community are able to make the right decisions for planting, harvesting, and propagating. Essential to make sure crops not only succeed but also thrive, so that the farmers can make the most return on any investment.

These sensors need connectivity to transmit, receive and interrogate this data – the connection needs to be secure and continual.

The Challenge: Many farms and greenhouses are in very rural locations, situated in remote areas where not all cellular providers have coverage or access. So, how do farmers access the systems that they need to be successful?

The Solution: The Zest4 IoT World SIM, it has access to every operator (cellular network) within the country of deployment (where the device is). Our SIM will automatically select the best (strongest) cellular connection wherever it is deployed, to ensure successful data transmission to the cloud. All devices using our World SIM have access to all bearer services, including 5G and NB IoT, which means irrespective of the technology deployed a cellular service should be available. With Zest4 IoT, not only do we offer secure connectivity, but we also have the capability of monitoring this data through our portal, Zest4 Connect. End users can get real-time data, flagged anomalies and SIM management of all devices.

The Impact: With a secure connection, devices can be used in all fields of agriculture and farming, giving farmers the best possible opportunity for success. By controlling their own SIM estate, users can get the information they need, when they need it, making sure the right decisions are made.