Innovative water monitoring technology takes out win at ACCOMs
Leading mobile satellite solutions provider Pivotel and Agtech start-up Farmbot have been awarded Satellite Provider of the Year at this year’s ACCOM Awards for their innovative remote water monitoring solution, Farmbot.
Merging traditional agricultural farming practices with Internet of Things (IOT) monitors enabled by Pivotel’s satellite technology, Farmbot provides water monitoring data and insights for farmers in the most remote locations of Australia.
Pivotel CEO Peter Bolger said the award is recognition of the partnership between two forward thinking companies that has reshaped modern agriculture practice to support greater efficiencies and cost savings for farmers.
“Farmbot’s water monitoring solution, supported through Pivotel’s satellite IOT services, is providing Australia’s agribusiness community with never before seen value. It’s with great pride we are working with Farmbot to develop innovative technology that helps grow the nation’s thriving agriculture industry,” Mr Bolger said.
“Farmbot is primarily focused on supporting cattle and sheep graziers in the first stage of operation. While livestock can live for a week without food, it takes just 24 hours without water on a hot day for their health to start rapidly deteriorating and consequently, the livelihood of farmers to be affected.
“Pivotel provides satellite coverage over the entirety of Australia and most of the world’s land mass, so Farmbot can be quickly deployed virtually anywhere. The monitor’s simplicity, easy installation and high reliability makes it the ideal solution for Aussie farmers operating in remote locations.”
Piloted with customers in remote areas of Kimberley, Northern Territory and North Queensland, Farmbot removes the need for remote farmers to spend two or three days a week driving around their multi-hectare properties checking water troughs and tanks.
Farmers who live rurally on their station can save up to $1,700 in fuel and farm vehicle running costs every month, returning valuable once-lost hours and resources back into their business and family.
Managing Director of Farmbot Andrew Coppin said he was proud of Farmbot’s growth and the ACOMM Award win is recognition of his team’s hard work and innovative thinking.
“We’re proud of the impact Farmbot has had on the agriculture industry and are thrilled by the adoption of the product by many Aussie farmers, with more than 1,700 water monitors now in use on rural and remote farms,” Mr Coppin said.
“The agricultural industry is worth $60 billion to the Australian economy, however its sustainability is based solely on access to suitable water for the growth of crops and the survival of livestock, which is why water monitoring is vital for our farmers.
“We had the capability to create technology which would vastly improve the lives of countless Australian farmers, but we also knew it couldn’t be effective in remote locations without the reliable satellite connectivity provided by our partners at Pivotel.”
Pivotel continues to experience exciting growth and recently announced the acquisition of two US-based mobile satellite solution businesses, MVS USA Inc. and Explorer Satellite Communications Inc., significantly increasing its scale in North America and opening new markets in Latin America and Europe.
Pivotel was also awarded best technology innovation and listed among the Australian Financial Review’s Most Innovative Companies this month for its custom-built mobile network named ecoSphere®.
“To be formally recognised by the Communications Alliance for our work in advancing communication and technology for rural areas of Australia is a true honour,” Mr Bolger said.
About Pivotel – Creating better connections, everywhere
Pivotel is Australian owned and operated with unrivalled expertise in remote communications providing 105,000 satellite based services to people who live, travel or have business operations outside of mobile coverage. Pivotel’s headquarters are located in Southport, Queensland with offices spread around Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Latin America and Indonesia. All of Pivotel’s customer touchpoints are local, supported by an experienced network of engineers, application developers, customer care agents and over 250 dealers.
Pivotel maintains a mobile carrier license and operates ground infrastructure in Australia and is licenced to provide retail telecommunications services in the USA, Latin America and New Zealand. It is the only Australian carrier with direct connection to the world’s four major mobile satellite networks: Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya and Globalstar. The company’s suite of satellite and mobile technologies enable remote connectivity via satellite phones, satellite broadband, personnel and asset trackers, IOT, Machine to Machine connections and specialist maritime communications. Pivotel Group’s 4G mobile network, ecoSphere®, extends its carrier network to deliver complementary terrestrial wireless services to rural and remote Australians operating outside the coverage footprint of the major mobile networks.
About Farmbot:
Farmbot provides innovative monitoring solutions that take the guesswork out of measuring and analysing water. Our products have been developed specifically for the agricultural industry to help ensure the stability and sustainability of the water supply and are particularly suitable for farmers in remote regions. Farmbot monitors are easy to install, use and maintain, providing farmers with accurate, timely data at their fingertips. Our satellite and 3G connected monitors measure and analyse water use and consumption in stock tanks, dams, turkey’s nests and irrigation channels. Farmers can access the real-time information through their PC or mobile phone 24×7 – ensuring visibility of water level issues before they become significant and helping farmers to better understand their water usage.
