A satellite that issues a correction signal to most Australian farm machinery went down this week, leaving farmers in the lurch
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Mobile internet coverage could help farmers whose tractors stalled due to a satellite outage this week – but phone coverage is so patchy in regional Australia that many will remain stalled.
The British-owned Inmarsat I-4 F1 satellite, which supports the GPS systems in agricultural machinery from brands including Ag Leader, Case, John Deere, and Trimble in the Asia-Pacific, was down for 12 hours this week, causing a flurry of concerned calls from Australian farmers. Most modern tractors rely on GPS for automatic steering. The satellite enables guided accuracy and self-drive within two centimetres for tasks such as sowing crops.
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Emily Middleton is a journalist in Gilgandra, NSW
Continue reading…A satellite that issues a correction signal to most Australian farm machinery went down this week, leaving farmers in the lurchSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityMobile internet coverage could help farmers whose tractors stalled due to a satellite outage this week – but phone coverage is so patchy in regional Australia that many will remain stalled.The British-owned Inmarsat I-4 F1 satellite, which supports the GPS systems in agricultural machinery from brands including Ag Leader, Case, John Deere, and Trimble in the Asia-Pacific, was down for 12 hours this week, causing a flurry of concerned calls from Australian farmers. Most modern tractors rely on GPS for automatic steering. The satellite enables guided accuracy and self-drive within two centimetres for tasks such as sowing crops.Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletterEmily Middleton is a journalist in Gilgandra, NSW Continue reading…