Phone service across the farm had steadily deteriorated over five to six years, to the point of no coverage at all - a serious problem for a farm running DataCast on displays and machinery guidance systems like Ag Leader, which depend on connectivity to function. Connected Farms deployed mobile Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity to bring coverage farm-wide.
"We can get full productivity out of our machines," Gladman says, with the improved efficiency holding up throughout the year rather than only during particular seasons.
In practice, that means DataCast running live through the satellite connection, so Gladman can check that a paddock has been fully sown before moving on, rather than relying on guesswork. It also lets both tractors see what the other is doing in real time, helping the operators avoid overlapping and save on fertiliser and seed.