Nokia and Solis plough connectivity path for agribusinesses in Brazil

It would seem logical that many rural parts of Latin America’s largest country are still unconnected to advanced communications and only 19% of the land available for agricultural use in Brazil has 4G or 5G coverage. To address such issues, Nokia has formed a partnership with telecoms infrastructure organisation Solis Tower Telecom do Brasil to offer a flexible and competitive digital agriculture solution, bringing much-needed connectivity to agribusinesses in these areas.

With agribusinesses representing approximately a quarter of Brazil’s GDP, the partnership aims to expand private wireless networks that will help to deliver gains in productivity, efficiency, and sustainability and ultimately an increase in food production. It will also look drive digital inclusion and bring reliable connectivity to many farming communities in rural or plantation areas.

In addition, the network will endeavour to enable workers to perform everyday tasks, such as accessing banking apps or connecting with their families, and drive productivity by enabling instant communication between workers and managers.

Solis is a narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) provider and a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) dedicated to Brazilian agribusinesses. It believes it has the capacity to build infrastructure and meet the demands of a country as large as Brazil with the quality and reliability that new agricultural operations require.

For the deployment, Nokia provided a range of equipment from its AirScale portfolio, including small cells, baseband, macro remote radio heads and base stations. Nokia also provided its energy-efficient all-in-one cabinet solutions with advanced cooling solutions for outdoor use. Nokia’s solutions also support internet of things (IoT) technologies such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, enabling a host of machines, people and sensors to be connected seamlessly to provide detailed real-time information that supports agribusinesses.

Through our industry-leading technology, we help our customer Solis bridge the digital divide and connect the unconnected

“This important project will have a transformative impact on farming communities across Brazil giving them access to critical communications and internet access,” remarked Solis co-founder Felippe Antonelle. “It will drive greater efficiencies and increases in productivity. We are delighted to partner with Nokia on this and look forward to seeing how it will develop in the future.”

Renato Bueno, enterprise sales director for Nokia Mobile Networks in Latin America, added: “Bringing reliable connectivity and accelerating the digitisation of these rural communities is essential. It will help businesses and workers collaborate and innovate, becoming more productive and efficient, while enabling easier communications with co-workers and families. Through our industry-leading technology, we help our customer Solis bridge the digital divide and connect the unconnected.”

The partnership is already delivering connectivity to farms in Brazil, including the Vera Cruz do Xingu farm in the State of Mato Grosso. “The introduction of a private LTE network has transformed our operations,” said farm director Henrique Carneiro Gonçalves. “Now we can communicate easily with everyone on the farm, solving issues and driving greater synergies and productivity. IoT monitors give us instant access to information on things such as humidity, harvesting or fuel consumption, helping us to be more efficient, save money and get better outcomes. The possibilities seem endless.”