SmartRural

Smart Rural
Through SmartRural, SAOS has initiated a nationwide project that will help farmers capture and access data to help make better decisions and improve business returns. Conducting business in rural areas is often held back by limited or non-existent digital connectivity.

Through SmartRural’s new digital infrastructure, those living and working in rural areas could benefit from the digital innovations currently only available in cities. SmartRural is a user-owned co-op, whose objective is to deliver connectivity across the whole of rural Scotland, gathering data through a new telecoms infrastructure. As a co-op, the ownership, control and value of the data gathered are all retained by the farmer members who generate it.

The Internet of Things
SmartRural uses the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) to transfer data over a network. The IoT refers to network connectivity using objects, sensors and everyday items, such as a gate or a water trough, or a neck collar on a cow. These devices are then enabled to generate and transmit information automatically.

Benefits
Using wireless communication, that allows IoT devices to communicate over large distances with minimal battery usage, also means that the system is also comparatively inexpensive. And it’s not only farmers who could benefit, the possible uses for the system are limited only by our imagination.

For example, to monitor flooding in cattle barns - whether from external sources or broken water pipes, flooding can quickly lead to sodden bedding and animal welfare issues. A simple device could detect uncontrolled or leaking water in a normally dry environment and alert the farmer.

Through SmartRural, gathering data that helps improve your business or simplify daily life is easy, even in the most rural of locations where conventional communication systems cannot reach.

Find out more at smartrural.coop