Not all that long ago, the work being done through precision agriculture was just the stuff of ag producers’ dreams. Things like variable rate technology to optimize inputs when seeding, fertilizing, or applying pesticides; using crop sensors to evaluate conditions during the growing season; or monitoring yield data in real-time during harvest were unheard of.
But the research to make these technologies part of the typical operation is being done today at the Grand Farm. Groups ranging from higher education to private enterprise are making great advances, figuring out ways to utilize technology to improve yields and profitability. To do this, internet connectivity is crucial. That’s where Dakota Carrier Network (DCN) comes in. DCN is the partner providing the connectivity to make this research possible. There are four primary components to DCN’s connectivity at Grand Farm:
- Gigabit fiber feeding the farm: The Grand Farm will be served via a fiber optic gigabit connection. This fiber connection will not only serve the Innovation Campus with high capacity, low latency connectivity, it will also be used to provide state-of-the-art connectivity supporting the wireless needs of the Grand Farm.
- Radio Access Network (RAN): The RAN will be located on a pole, similar to that used by cell phone companies. It will have multiple private 5G networks connected to it, connecting every square foot of the Grand Farm. The privacy component of the network is crucial, particularly in a research setting. Information transferred on this network is proprietary and has to be protected to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse by competitors or other unauthorized parties. To facilitate this private network, only those with special SIM cards provided by DCN will have access.
- Radio Access Network (RAN): The RAN will be located on a pole, similar to that used by cell phone companies. It will have multiple private 5G networks connected to it, connecting every square foot of the Grand Farm. The privacy component of the network is crucial, particularly in a research setting. Information transferred on this network is proprietary and has to be protected to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse by competitors or other unauthorized parties. To facilitate this private network, only those with special SIM cards provided by DCN will have access.
- Leveraging the CBRS spectrum: CBRS, or Citizens Broadband Radio Service, is licensed through the Federal Communications Commission. This “spectrum” is a radiofrequency that carries data. DCN purchased spectrum from the FCC for the entire state of North Dakota in anticipation of needing connectivity for efforts like precision ag, and the Grand Farm is the first use case of the spectrum.
- Connection to a core: DCN will provide connection to a core that manages and runs the system. The Core is a cloud-based network element that provides secure, private network segmentation and authentication functions for the various users of the system. This core is located off-site, which provides additional security and geographic diversity to safeguard from natural or man-made disasters.
This network will tie together the entire ecosystem of the Grand Farm, enabling the research that is critical to maintaining North Dakota’s position as a leader in agriculture. Agriculture is becoming more intertwined with technology through things like sensors and self-driving automation, and all of that requires connectivity to the furthest reaches of the farm. It’s research like this that will help North Dakota producers maintain strong, profitable operations and the state continue to be a leader in agriculture.
The benefits of precision ag will reach well beyond enhancing productivity. Advancements in precision ag will have broad effects on economic development, bringing new, innovative organizations and well-established international companies to North Dakota. Just as important, it will bring positive effects to small town main street, allowing others in the farming family to have outside careers and still live at the farm; increasing demand for skilled workers and keeping young people in the state; and benefitting hometown businesses from gas stations to grocery stores to implement dealers.
DCN is the result of the vision of North Dakota’s 13 independent telephone (now broadband) companies. In the 1990s, as the internet was first emerging, they realized that for our rural state to thrive, we would need to be connected to this new technology. But the innovations and research that DCN’s connectivity enables at the Grand Farm may have been beyond their wildest dreams. With precision ag, there are many great things to come that will allow producers to work more efficiently and effectively to grow the industry and North Dakota.
