Category Archives: Internet

dishNET Learning From Rural America

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Brian McIntyre at AFBFDISH Network wants everyone in rural America to have internet access. That’s why they launched dishNET last fall. Now they’re going a little further by bundling DISH tv & entertainment with dishNET. They’re also reaching out to rural Americans and various organizations to find ways to capitalize on the economic and educational opportunities that internet access provides.

I found them doing that at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Nashville. DISH Network was conducting a rural access survey to gather information about where and how people are using the internet. I am hoping to find out the results of that survey when it is complete. This is part of a Rural Access Listening Sessions program they’ve started to create a dialogue with rural influencers.

To learn more about what is going on with DISH and dishNET I visited with Brian McIntyre, vice president of broadband at DISH. Brian says that a key message he’s hearing from rural America is the desire to stay relevant. There’s a word we heard multiple times during the AFBF annual meeting. He says that dishNET brings service to rural America on par with that found in urban markets. Plans start as low as $39.99 and include download speeds of up to 10 mbps download. You’ll also get one bill for your tv/entertainment and internet services. Brian also talks about some of the technology upgrades DISH has undertaken in recent years to make their services better.

You can listen to my interview with Brian here: Interview with Brian McIntyre

2013 American Farm Bureau Convention Photo Album

E-marketplace Connecting Farmers

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A new website recently launched, www.Sproutrade.com, is a U.S.-based niche e-marketplace to connect farmers, growers and agriculture companies in a similar way as they might through broad e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon. Essentially, it is a way for farmers, growers and agriculture companies to market their products directly to consumers and other companies, via an online platform.

One of the primary advantages is that the site helps farmers, growers and agriculture companies create an online presence without the need for the creation of an individual website or e-commerce platform. Sproutrade.com takes care of all these details, and even provides each company with their own individual page within Sproutrade.

Click here for more.

ZimmCast

Precision Ag is Cloud Mobile

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Cloud management of data for precision ag applications and more is just a natural part of the continuing technology revolution and it is now here thanks to AgIntegrated which is launching their Onsite service very soon.

To learn more about Onsite and AgIntegrated I spoke with Mike Santostefano, Director of Marketing and Business Development.

Mike says that during the last decade the AgIntegrated team has been developing “a variety of Precision Ag, logistical, and information management software services to the agricultural industry.” We hear a lot about logistics and agribusiness has the same kinds of needs in this area as other industries. He says that with all the disconnected systems out there they noticed that the adoption of precision ag had halted. To address this the company has created Onsite, “a cloud-based, mobile and desktop app that assists with file management and communications to and from the field by socially connecting people.” It is not meant to replace current precision software but to complement it. He says Onsite helps “precision consumers” build a network to connect different people to get information where and when it is needed. Onsite is color agnostic too, meaning it will integrate with any system out there regardless of manufacturer. Mike provides an example of how they’ve worked with Raven’s Slingshot. Onsite requires a customer login account and utilizes a little device called a Relay. Onsite will let you organize and move files, create a network, chat, do position reporting and a lot more.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Onsite fueled by AgIntegrated

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Ag in the Cloud

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You are hearing a lot about working in the cloud these days. Why not the agribusiness industry? Onsite, fueled by AgIntegrated, has an answer to the question.

Onsite provides the connections you need to handle 21st century farming. As a consumer of an increasing amount of agricultural information and technologies, you experience the headaches involved in managing separate systems. Onsite combines cloud, desktop, and mobile technologies with the Onsite Relay, a wireless data transfer device, to provide a low barrier to entry, professional toolset to connect your world.

In today’s connected world, linking people through mobile technologies and software is essential to maintain or increase productivity. Onsite accomplishes this for agriculture by bridging the communication gap between agricultural software and the network of individuals that drive agriculture on a daily basis.

By directly connecting into many of the most well respected precision ag software, equipment telematics, and agronomic resource systems in our industry today, Onsite helps you to organize and communicate the valuable information you manage throughout the season.

Few Ag Names on Dot Domain List

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There’s no dots for agriculture, corn, or cows on the list of nearly 2000 new generic top-level domain (or gTLD) name applications announced yesterday by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

There’s .beer but not .beef, there’s .porn but not .pork, there’s .soy but not .soybean. There is .farm on the list, by one of several companies that paid $185,000 per name to apply for multiple generic domains, and Farmers Insurance has applied for .farmers. DuPont and New Holland both applied to have dot domains, but Pioneer was requested by a Japanese company and there is no .JohnDeere on the list. No .BASF or .Monsanto or .Syngenta, either.

The application window for the gTLDs opened in January and closed on May 30. The full list of nearly 2,000 applications, including duplicates for popular names like .app and .blog, was revealed yesterday starting a 60-day public comment period to allow anyone to object to the domain being awarded. Introducing the list on Wednesday, ICANN chief Rod Beckstrom said, “The internet is about to change forever.” Well, maybe by sometime next year. All the applications need to be reviewed, and multiple applications for the same name need to go through an arbitration process. The winners will get the chance to pay $25,000 a year to keep the domain extension and do whatever they want with it.

See the entire application list here.

President Exec Order To Speed Up Broadband Dev

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Today President Obama will sign a new executive order to make broadband construction cheaper and easier according to the White House. This would mean more people in more places can join the AgWired community!

The Executive Order (EO) will require the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs as well as the US Postal Service to offer carriers a single approach to leasing Federal assets for broadband deployment. The EO also requires that available Federal assets and the requirements for leasing be provided on departmental websites, and it will require public tracking of regional broadband deployment projects via the Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard (permits.performance.gov). In addition, the Executive Order will direct departments to help carriers time their broadband deployment activities to periods when streets are already under construction—an approach that can reduce network deployment costs along Federal roadways by up to 90 percent.

You can find a fact sheet on this here (pdf).

Rural Broadband Opportunities

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You could look at this map and see lots of black areas that show there is no local broadband coverage and think negatively. Or you could see these areas as opportunities like the FCC does. This is an interactive map released last week showing areas with “potential” for broadband support via a program as described in their release. I agree with this statement contained in it, “Broadband has gone from being a luxury to a necessity for full participation in our economy and society for all Americans.”

The FCC today announced steps to close our nation’s gaps in mobile service as part of the agency’s groundbreaking reforms under the Connect America Fund, which the Commission adopted last year to put America on the path to universal broadband and advanced mobile coverage by the end of the decade. The Commission recently released a public notice (PN) announcing a reverse auction to award $300 million in one-time Mobility Fund Phase I support starting the implementation process. It also has developed and released a new interactive map to illustrate areas potentially eligible for support.

FCC Chairman Genachowski said, “As our new map demonstrates, millions of Americans still live, work, and travel in areas where advanced mobile networks have not been built out. Through the FCC’s Connect America Fund, we’re helping complete our nation’s wired and wireless infrastructure, which will lead to job creation, economic growth, and innovation in the 21st century.”

Gov’t. Agencies Say LightSquared System Can’t Work With GPS

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Things are looking bleak for the proposed LightSquared LTE network according to a story in PC World.

A key federal agency involved in testing the proposed LightSquared LTE network has concluded that there is no practical way to solve interference between that network and GPS, possibly dealing a crippling blow to the startup carrier’s hopes for a terrestrial mobile network.

That agency is the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExComm). Now that’s a mouthful. The agencies that make up this one have unanimously concluded that none of the LightSquared proposals would overcome interference with GPS.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter to the FCC:

Earlier this week we published results of our ZimmPoll that showed a majority think the LightSquared proposal would be good for ag/rural America. However, most of those positive responses all came at nearly the same time.

Lightsquared Solution To GPS Concerns Not Well Received By Industry

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Yesterday Lightsquared announced a “solution” to concerns over interference with GPS systems from it’s proposed wireless broadband network.

LightSquared™, a wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and industry innovation, has signed an agreement with Javad GNSS Inc. to develop a system that will eliminate related interference issues for high-precision GPS devices.

The Javad GNSS system can be adapted to work with high-precision GPS devices including those already in the agriculture, surveying, construction and defense industries. (full release)

I’m not sure how forcing farmers and all kinds of people, especially those defending our country, to purchase new equipment that will have to be installed to keep their current GPS systems working is a real solution to what appears to be a very real problem. I’m all for more and better choices for broadband, especially in rural areas but not at the expense of GPS systems that perform very critical functions. This action seems to be an admission by Lightsquared that the concerns are real. Otherwise, why do this? I asked the Coalition to Save Our GPS for their response and got it right away.

“LightSquared has, as usual, oversimplified and greatly overstated the significance of the claims of a single vendor to have ‘solved’ the interference issue. There have been many vendor claims that have not proven out in rigorous tests and the demanding tests of marketplace acceptance. Moreover, this is not a one-size-fits-all situation and a few prototypes does not a solution make. The estimated 750,000 to 1 million high-precision GPS receivers now in use in the United States vary widely: there are hundreds of different high-precision devices used in performing thousands of different tasks. High-precision GPS supports a wide variety of uses, including agriculture, construction, aviation, surveying and many scientific and safety-of-life applications.

“LightSquared also ignores that fact that availability of new products, even if confirmed, does not address this very large existing base of equipment. If and when solutions are available, LightSquared must accept responsibility for paying to replace the existing base of existing equipment with new products.

“In any case, this is not an issue that can be solved with a LightSquared press release. As the FCC and NTIA recently recognized, more testing is necessary to evaluate interference impacts under LightSquared’s latest technical proposals. We welcome the participation of Javad in those tests.”

New USDA-NASS Farm Computer Usage/Ownership Report

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It’s time to analyze some new data about farm computer use and ownership. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistic Service has released a new report, “Farm Computer Usage and Ownership, August 2011.” Here’s the opening summary. It’s interesting to see that dialup access has dropped in half since the last report in 2009. Also note how high the percentages get as you increase the income of the farm.

DSL was the most common method of accessing the Internet, with 38 percent of U.S. farms using it, up from 36 percent in 2009. Dialup access dropped from 23 percent in 2009 to 12 percent in 2011. Satellite and wireless were each reported as the primary Internet access methods on 15 and 20 percent of those U.S. farms with Internet access, respectively. Cable was reported as the primary access method on 11 percent of the farms, the same level as 2009.

A total of 62 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared with 59 percent in 2009. Sixty-five percent of farms have access to a computer in 2011, up 1 percentage point from 2009. The proportion of U.S. farms owning or leasing a computer in 2011, at 63 percent, was up 2 percentage points from 2009. Farms using computers for their farm business remained virtually stable at 37 percent in 2011 compared to 36 percent in 2009. Continue reading →

Lightsquared Threat To GPS

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I spent a lot of my career in the broadcasting business and never saw the Federal Communications Commission take action like they have been on the proposal from a company called Lightsquared to utilize high-powered, close-proximity transmissions from a network of ground stations that would cause substantial interference with GPS signals.. It is unheard of for them to allow a company to move ahead on a major project like this without doing full testing first. However, that’s what they’ve done. Fortunately the whole thing is on hold at the moment pending public comment. I think we’d all like more high speed internet access in rural America but not at the expense of GPS. Think about how much has been invested in GPS systems!

At the InfoAg Conference our closing session was titled, “GPS Under Seige: Lightsquared and the Threat to High-End Global Positioning.” This presentation was conducted by Kevin Kobb, Topcon (right) and Doug Schmuland, NovAtel. I spoke with them after their presentation. Kevin and Doug told me it has caused the major GPS producers and distributors to come together to understand the threat and then present that to the public and then work toward a favorable conclusion to the situation. The potential exists for this proposal to affect just about every device relying on GPS satellites. They say that now is the time to act and make your voice heard before the proposal receives a final FCC decision. You can find a lot of information on the website, Coalition To Save Our GPS.

Listen to my interview with Kevin and Doug here: Interview with Kevin Kobb and Doug Schmuland

2011 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Get Interactive With PAQ

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ZimmCast 310What’s new in the world wide web? Lots of things. In this week’s program I’m sharing a conversation with Quentin Rund, PAQ Interactive. Quentin’s company is putting on the InfoAg Conference that’s taking place right now in Springfield, IL. We sat down and chatted about websites, apps and social media.

PAQ Interactive is a technology services company specializing in Web and GIS solutions. Our web design and development work focuses on the web as a communication tool. More than static pages, we assist our clients through the design of interactive, content rich, fully customizable web sites that allow our clients to use their web technology investment for internal and external communications. In GIS services, PAQ consults with clients in creating and maintaining a business-level GIS. We provide training, custom programming, data analysis, and GIS project management solutions to create or expand on our clients initial investment in GIS.

Listen in to this week’s program: Get Interactive with PAQ

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page.

Give Chatterbarn Feedback and Sign Up

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Are you ready to Chatter? If so, then Chatterbarn is looking for some feedback during their beta test before going fully “live.” So go ahead and register for your launch day invitation. Feel free to post your comments and thoughts here too and we’ll pass them along. What do you think about the idea and need for this type of social networking kind of environment for agriculture? Is one needed? Would you use it? You know. All those kinds of questions.

Chatterbarn is the destination point for rural living and everything agriculture. The ChatterBoard connects you locally, to your neighbors and community. It connects you around the world to your customers, vendors and business associates. Teams are your own personal groups that can be created to invite those that you interact with the most for quick access to discussion, knowledge sharing, and interaction. Hubs are public information centers sponsored by businesses in the agricultural industry. These information centers provide product information, training webinars, video conferences, and other critical information from companies around the world that impact your life the most.

The Chatterbarn Exchange is a powerful real- time marketplace that not only allows for sellers to post items for sale, but is unique in the fact that it can be buyer-controlled as well. This means that if you need something specific, even in a certain amount of time, you can submit a request with a price range that you are willing to pay, and Chatterbarn will match your request with someone that has what you are looking for and notify you immediately by email and/or text. The Chatterbarn Exchange not only facilitates the exchange of products, but also the exchange of information.

The third component of the Chatterbarn Exchange allows you to submit questions into the network, which can be responded to by others, to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and information throughout the industry. You will use the Chatter Button throughout the site to make things happen. It will help you post your comments to the Chatterboard and submit your items to the Chatterbarn Exchange. So, are you ready to Chatter?

Subscribe to the Chatterblog, find ‘em on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

The Ag Industry Now Has An AgHaven

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AgHaven LogoLet me introduce you to AgHaven, an ag-specific community website and search engine. I have been an AgHaven Beta tester and am also happy to announce that AgHaven will be one of the sponsors of AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic where the official announcement of the new online location is being made.

I got a preview of what members of the agribusiness industry will find from Brian McGahey, AgHaven Director.

You can learn more about AgHaven from my interview with Brian here: Brian McGahey Interview

Growers, ranchers and other agriculture industry professionals who are frustrated by Internet search engines not turning up relevant results now have a better option.

AgHaven announced the launch of its breakthrough website www.aghaven.com this week at Commodity Classic, which is designed to provide relevant search results specific to agriculture and offer online marketplace and networking opportunities.

“The ag industry is one of the most important industries in our country and in the world, but we realized this market was underserved when it came to online experiences,” said Srik Soogoor, president of AgHaven. “It is exciting to develop the next generation web application that’s just for agriculture without the challenges that people may experience on other sites.”
 Continue reading →

How Broadband & Precision Ag Are Increasing Farmers’ Profits

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I recently attended the Iowa Power Farming Show and one of the technologies that I featured in a post on our sister blog Precision Pays, was Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technologies. As I result, I was asked to write a guest post for Broadband for America. They asked if I could write a blog about how broadband technology has really changed the way agriculture does business. Precision Agriculture has not only made agriculture a bit easier, but its also made it a bit more profitable.  Now, with the internet, precision ag can take it one more step.

With their permission, I am reprinting the article here.

For my mother, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, it was hard to imagine how far technology would advance agriculture in such a short time. For instance, the introduction of broadband would be a welcome surprise for many. It’s hard to fathom living without internet access; however, in the past, those in rural America did not have as much access as those living in urban areas. Fortunately, this is changing. According to Pew Internet, adults living in rural America have witnessed high-speed usage grow from 38% in 2008 to 46% in 2009. Many of these adults are farmers.

With the introduction of broadband also came the introduction of many precision agriculture technologies. For example, Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technology helps farmers gain important information. The technology is designed to run on their handheld Mesa Rugged Notepad and provides a platform for farmers to gather information such as soil tests, scouting records and documentation of test trials. With the help of a wireless broadband network, farmers can instantaneously transfer the data to his SMS desktop software. The data can be combined with previous data and take his crop management to another level – a level that is designed to improve his profitability.

While this technology is still somewhat in its infancy, access to wireless communications has offered possibilities not before thought possible. Precision agriculture is taking full advantage of this technology. Each year, data integration and programs are more effective and easier to use as adoption among growers increases.

According to Tim Murphy, in a 2002 article, “Broadband Connection Highs and Lows Across Rural America“, the census found that half the farms in the country were connected to the internet in some way whether it be via broadband or dial-up. By 2007, the percentage of farms connected rose to 56.5 percent. As precision ag comes of age, I expect to see greater growth in the adoption in broadband in rural America. Why? Because broadband and precision ag, together, are helping to change the face of agriculture in a positive and profitable way.

MyAmericanFarm.org Showcased At AFBF Convention

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AFBF Annual MeetingMy American Farm is a great and personal sounding name. It’s the url for a Pioneer sponsored project that’s conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation. I spoke with Angela Mayfield (right) about what’s new with the project.

Angela says that MyAmericanFarm.org is a free online resource that now has 12 games covering different topics on agriculture. They all meet core content standards for elementary teachers grades 3-5. Of course the games are fun for students of all ages. Besides adding games there is also updated ag information content. The resource is available to any school anywhere.

You can listen to my interview with Angela here: Angela Mayfield Interview

2011 AFBF Annual Meeting Photo Album

Ayrmesh Now Powering ZimmComm Internet

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I have a working Ayrmesh hub now working at ZimmComm World Headquarters. As I posted recently this is a product that creates what is affectionately called “free range internet.” Made by Ayrstone Productivity, the Ayrmesh creates a strong, stable internet wifi cloud, which if placed properly can go a long distance. By adding additional hubs that range can be extended too.

I learned more about the company and the product by talking with Bill Moffitt, a techno geek like me. He says the company was created to bring technology to rural areas to help farmers and others become more productive. One of the ways anyone in business today accomplishes this is by strategically using the internet. Bill says they are even working with Raven Industries on precision applications. Raven is building wifi into their products. This allows for an easier way to transfer data and without monthly cellular charges. There are a lot of other ways that the Ayrmesh can help farmers. One I can think of is becoming more active agvocates!

Listen in to my conversation with Bill to learn all about how to get some free range internet on your farm. Interview with Bill Moffitt

New Website For Coalition To Support Iowa’s Farmers

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A new website has been launched for the Coalition To Support Iowa’s Farmers.

The colorful site is chocked full of new content featuring new agricultural information, program updates, farm families the Coalition has worked with and easy, user-friendly navigation.

“Our new website is specifically designed to help Iowa livestock farmers successfully and responsibly manage changes to their farms,” said CSIF Executive Director, Brian Waddingham. “Being a livestock farmer is a difficult business, compounded by the growing mass of rules and regulations. The new web site is a resource tool for those farm families who need more information so they can stay rooted in rural Iowa.”

In addition to information about the latest rules and regulations impacting livestock farmers, the new site also features information about siting considerations. “Many farmers we work with are multi-generational; it’s important to them to care for the land and waterways so they can pass their farm down to the next generation, that’s why careful selection of sites is so important,” Waddingham said. The new web site offers considerations that may impact site selection from air modeling and typography to location of public use areas.

The new web site also highlights steps farmers may take with their neighbors when making changes to their farm. “Neighbor relations is an important part of a farmer’s business plan and the site provides some initial guidance on how to do that,” said Waddingham.

Free Range Internet Via Ayrstone AyrMesh

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Here’s a company that I did not get to talk with at the recent NAFB convention Trade Talk session. However, the Ayrstone AyrMesh seemed very interesting and I thought I’d bring it to your attention. It sounds good and maybe ZimmComm World Headquarters could use it to improve our wifi experience! If you’ve used one please leave a comment about your experience.

Now you and your Internet have the run of the place.

New for people living and working in open spaces: the Ayrstone AyrMeshTM Wi-Fi system. This long-range Wi-Fi provides Internet to your entire farm, homestead or open space by broadcasting your broadband Internet connection. Use your farm Wi-Fi to save time inside, outside and all around your place:

* Follow your tractor maintenance manual from your laptop instead of wasting time printing it out
* Key-in data about your farm animals from the barn instead of taking notes in a notebook
* Furnish Internet access to visitors, employees, contract workers
* Provide all your kids Internet access at homework time instead of the lineup next to the computer
* Take your home office out to the porch or under your favorite tree instead of staying cooped-up in the house

The AyrMesh network extends your home network to your open spaces including workshops, stables, garages, outbuildings and even pasture, without the chore digging in cables. Each AyrMesh Hub provides up to a half-mile of Wi-Fi coverage. Extend your coverage up to 2 miles by linking AyrMesh Hubs through Wi-Fi. Ready to purchase the Ayrstone AyrMesh system?

Broadband Out of the Wild Blue

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During the NAFB Trade Talk session I spoke with Matt Farr (not pictured), Wild Blue, about the company’s development. We’ve all been hearing about Wild Blue for years and according to Matt things have developed nicely. Here’s a short history:

WildBlue launched its service aboard the U.S. capacity of Telesat’s Anik F2 satellite launched in July 2004. WildBlue-1, WildBlue’s second satellite, was built by Space Systems / Loral and went into service in early 2007. In August 2009, WildBlue activated service on a third satellite, AMC-15. In late 2010, ViaSat-1 is scheduled to launch, and will deliver next generation broadband services to customers in North America.

Matt says they have almost a half million customers now, virtually all in rural areas. Next year they will be launching a new satellite which will deliver even faster service than current. Sounds like new choices coming to areas with no other options!

Listen to my interview with here Matt: Interview with Matt Farr

NAFB Convention Photo Album