Intelsat and CNH sow seeds of smart farming satellite connectivity

In the latest example of how satellite-based connectivity is now key in supporting essential use cases, equipment and services company CNH Industrial has announced a collaboration with Intelsat to offer farmers ubiquitous access to the internet via a ruggedised satellite communications service.

Framing the relationship – said to be the first of its kind – the companies claimed connected smart farms, or “precision farming”, require robust connectivity to stream data among farm equipment and from the equipment to the cloud. They noted that there are over 570 million farms globally, many of which are located in rural locations with poor access to traditional connectivity solutions.

Based on a new memorandum of understanding, integrated satellite and terrestrial communication networks provider Intelsat will provide multi-orbit internet access to connect CNH equipment in remote locations and easy-to-use satellite terminals ready to handle the challenging environment on a farm.

Intelsat’s capabilities – spanning geosynchronous and low Earth orbits – will offer CNH companies such as Case IH, Steyr and New Holland a tested terminal that is said to connect easily and is proven to withstand extreme weather conditions and the vibration and shock produced by farming equipment and activity.

The offering will become available in the second half of 2024 to farmers in Brazil, where ConectarAgro’s Rural Connectivity Indicator found only 19% of the area available for agricultural use has high-speed internet access. The firms have agreed to install, connect and operate ruggedised multi-orbit satellite terminals on CNH farm equipment operating in remote farmland throughout Brazil with Intelsat’s global network.

CNH and Intelsat noted that in Brazil, less than a quarter of farmland is close enough to a cellular tower to make connection possible. Intelsat’s FlexMove satellite network will be deployed to give users the reliable connectivity needed to adopt connected equipment and potentially bring on an agricultural revolution.

As the first satellite communications company to provide multi-orbit connectivity to farmers around the world, Intelsat’s collaboration with CNH will unlock new capabilities in the most remote locations through our global communications platform

Intelsat has two satellites positioned over Brazil and Latin America. It also has a teleport facility located outside of Rio de Janeiro to expand its existing global network and to enable direct connections between Intelsat satellites and Brazil’s local terrestrial networks to reduce the distance user internet traffic has to travel.

“As the first satellite communications company to provide multi-orbit connectivity to farmers around the world, Intelsat’s collaboration with CNH will unlock new capabilities in the most remote locations through our global communications platform,” commented Dave Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat. “We’ve proven that ruggedised, built-for-purpose terminals that can access multiple satellite orbits from anywhere offer the highest network reliability, greater throughput and the best user experience.”

Marc Kermisch, chief digital and information officer at CNH, added: “Satellite technology helps solve the complex connectivity challenges for hard-to-reach farms, but not all providers are equal. Intelsat stands out for their depth of experience as well as the quality and reliability of their service and industrial terminal offerings. We look forward to serving customers around the world with their solution.”