VirtuAg: Another big call by Telstra

Telstra has a long history of providing vital connectivity to regional, rural and remote communities — and is maintaining its determination to connect with rural communities as an active supporter of VirtuAg.

• Enter Australia’s virtual field days, VirtuAg, here.

UNABLE to meet regional customers at field days this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Telstra is maintaining its determination to connect with rural communities as an active supporter of VirtuAg.

Telstra has a long history of providing vital connectivity to regional, rural and remote communities around Australia.

It covers a million square kilometres more than any other network in the country.

“Each year, Telstra contributes to more than 100 regional events and field days across Australia,” said Telstra Regional Australia executive Janet Barnes.

Commitment: Telstra’s Regional Australia executive Janet Barnes.

“Field day events play an important role in our local teams connecting with communities and providing updates on new and emerging products and services.

“With a number of field day events not going ahead this year, we wanted to stay connected with our rural communities.

“Supporting the VirtuAg event is a great way for us to continue to show our commitment to regional and rural communities.”

Telstra is committed to advancing technology for farm solutions through IOT on Farms and network extension devices.

“Currently we support around three million IOT devices on our mobile network, and we expect this number to explode in the coming years,” Ms Barnes said.

“Using nearly four million square kilometres of coverage offered by our leading Narrowband IOT (NB-IOT) network, farmers are able to use sensors or meters to track livestock or collect data on things like soil moisture, rainfall, air quality, and wind speed and direction.

“It can also assist in making decisions relating to crop nutrition, crop protection and product application.”

Data collection can now be automated and real-time decisions can be made faster than ever, lifting productivity, improving quality or shortening time to market.