Turkish telecoms giant Turk Telekom has announced a new 5G project focusing on smart agriculture in collaboration with Chinese telecommunications company ZTE.
The 5G Smart Agriculture Project, as it is known, was recently launched in the central Black Sea province of Çorum. It will, we are told, enable digital transformation and modernisation in agriculture. Advanced technologies such as drones and smart farming machinery have been integrated into the pilot 5G network established in the region, ZTE has said.
With the high-speed and low-latency connectivity features of 5G, tasks such as automated spraying, fertilisation and precision irrigation are beng successfully carried out using 5G, underlining the potential of the technology to target efficiency and resource savings in agriculture.
Sustainability is also important. Zafer Orhan, Türk Telekom Network deputy general manager, is quoted in a number of outlets as saying: "Thanks to our close cooperation with ZTE in Çorum, we have taken important steps in the digital transformation of agriculture. Through this pioneering project, we not only strengthen our technological capabilities but also take a significant step forward in sustainability, which lies at the heart of our business objectives".
This is far from the only example of the use of next generation wireless technologies in agriculture. Late last year, John Deere, a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment, outlined plans to launch its first private 5G network in a new factory in Brazil.
in addition, back in 2022 government plans were announced in India to engage with operators in developing 5G use cases in the fields of precision agriculture and smart farming.