5G is here in New Zealand but what does it mean for us and New Zealand industries?
The 5G mobile network may not be the only part of IoT development but it can be the building block to more advanced and fully functioning IoT systems. This simply means 5G connectivity allows IoT devices to communicate and share data faster in a more stable and secure communication channel. This brings huge opportunities for New Zealand businesses and industries in different sectors including agriculture and horticulture, two main parts of New Zealand’s primary industry sector.
Using IoT facilitates real-time monitoring and control in the agriculture and horticulture industries. IoT helps us in providing visibility and monitoring important components such as water level, soil PH level, nitrate content, moisture, level of pesticide, level of fertilizers and evaporation. All the collected data can be sent in real-time which helps to make better and more informed decisions. The benefits of IoT for agriculture can be classified into four categories: data collection; better processes monitoring and controlling; waste reduction due to increased visibility; and business efficiency because of process automation.
To harvest these benefits, IoT data transformation and connectivity are the keys, mostly due to the nature of agriculture and the vast amount of area to cover. For IoT agriculture applications, connection reliability, and speed are the key. As an example in Thailand, two telecommunications groups have launched a precision farming IoT solution to equip local farmers with the technology to face challenges, such as climate change, plant disease and soil moisture. This IoT based solution supported monitoring, analyzing and predicting the factors affecting cultivation that ultimately help increase crop yields, control quality of agricultural products and reduce production costs.
In New Zealand, some initiatives have been started in promoting precision or smart farming that also address the New Zealand sustainability strategic direction. Now we can expect that 5G will fuel the IoT adoption and we can exploit further opportunities in this area.
Nga mihi nui,
The team at the NZ IoT Alliance
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