To help close the digital divide in rural regions, John Deere and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are teaming together to offer internet access to farmers. Even with improvements in cellular infrastructure and rural broadband, many farmers continue to have trouble getting online. In the 2023 technology use report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 15% of farms said they didn’t have internet connectivity.
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Deere is using satellite technology as part of its attempts to address this problem, allowing farmers in locations with poor connectivity to use the digital tools that the firm offers. For farmers, networking has a greater significance, as noted by Aaron Wetzel, vice president of production at Deere and precision agriculture production systems. He said that connectivity opens numerous possibilities that used to be limited or unavailable.
“The value of connectivity to farmers is broader than any single task or action,” said Aaron Wetzel, Deere vice president of production and precision ag production systems. “Connectivity unlocks vast opportunities that were previously limited or unavailable.”
Deere launched the programme in 2022 and started looking for a partner or partners to use ruggedized terminals to connect both new and old equipment via satellite service. For clients who operate in places with poor connection, the objective is to increase productivity, profitability, and sustainability.
Deere has identified Starlink from SpaceX as a suitable partner for this audacious project. With a system of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit, Starlink offers lower latency speeds than standard satellite internet services. Support for many activities like as streaming, online gaming, video calls, and other high data rate applications are made possible by this. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell estimates that as of January 15, 4,620 Starlink satellites were in orbit.
SpaceX’s Alliance with Deere
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX announced the alliance with Deere on the social media site X, which was formerly known as Twitter. The company highlighted that Starlink is ideal for rural locations. The partnership is a step in the right direction towards helping farmers overcome their connectivity issues and is consistent with SpaceX’s goal of delivering internet access worldwide, particularly in underserved areas.
John Deere hopes to provide farmers with the digital tools they require for data-driven decision-making, real-time monitoring, and precision agriculture by utilising Starlink’s cutting-edge satellite technology. This project not only helps farmers with their immediate connectivity problems, but it also makes a positive contribution to the continuous efforts to close the digital gap in rural areas.
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