Farm Internet Service Expands to Homes, Businesses – Growing Georgia

AgUplink uses a series of radio towers and bandwidth that once served television stations to provide Internet service so that farmers can relay data about rainfall, irrigation and fertilizing to their precision ag software. But developing that system – which currently has about 30 customers – also will allow the company to serve homes and businesses.

“In a nutshell, it is a rural Internet provider for farmers. The main purpose is so growers can exchange data with us and agronomists,” said Josh Pittman, the director of sales and marketing for Ag Technologies, the parent company of Ag Uplink.

U.S. Department of Agriculture has made expanding Internet service in rural areas a priority. Last year, the USDA helped add or improve broadband service to 65,000 rural households and businesses, and since the Community Connect initiative began, has invested $122 million in 229 rural Internet projects.

AgUplink is applying for one of those USDA low-interest loans, according to project leader Dustin Springman, but the funds likely would only help the network grow faster.

“Our intention is to cover the entire area of southern Georgia, Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida,” Springman said. “This plan isn’t to compete with cable operators, but we keep finding pockets where the big companies like AT&T haven’t upgraded.”

In the places where no hardwired service is available, residents pay exorbitant amounts for service that allows for limited data.

AgUplink service doesn’t limit data and with 6-, 12-, and 18-mega bit plans, a household or business can get all the speed they need on multiple devices.

The system is starting at the city of Cordele, Ga. – which is one of AgUplink’s customers – and adding territory westward into Alabama.

via Farm Internet Service Expands to Homes, Businesses – Growing Georgia.