Bell launches first pilot project on LTE-M network

BCE Inc.’s first pilot project to run on its recently-announced LTE-M network will power the internet of things (IoT) for the monitoring of a vineyard in Ontario, in what the company is calling an “important step forward” for the development of the technology in agriculture. The telecom will partner with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and BeWhere Holdings Inc., an IoT company that makes hardware with sensors and tracking software, to connect the Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in St. Catherines, Ont., a Thursday press release said. The pilot will run for six months, Bell spokesman Nathan Gibson said in an email. The process will involve using “wireless environmental sensors” to “remotely monitor temperature and water levels, prevent vine disease, and ultimately improve the health of its plants, lowering operating costs and providing for years of maintenance-free data gathering.” Earlier this year, Bell announced that it would launch the LTE-M network in 2018 to improve the use of IoT. The network allows for low power consumption and better coverage underground and in hard-to-reach locations, it said in the release. Before a commercial launch, however, it said it was going to run pilot projects to test it. Gibson said that earlier this year, the company demonstrated its first LTE-M application, which monitored and tracked emergency management service equipment. However, he said the winery is the first pilot project. “Unexpected adverse weather conditions can impact quality, yield and mortality of our crops,” Matthew Speck, owner of the winery, said in the release, adding the technology will increase the “density of our environmental monitoring.” "We'll be able to automatically act on temperature inversions by turning on fans when temperatures change, ensuring the health of our grapes and an optimal product for our customers. The solution is not only economical and scalable, it gives growers a good view of the vines' temperature needs to improve quality and drive sustainability." Gibson said the pilot project will serve a couple of purposes. For one, it will allow the winery to test the LTE-M technology in real life and “assess the capabilities and benefits of the technology for Viniculture management.” For another, it will give Bell the opportunity to validate the network’s performance in the field. But Bell is no stranger to the area. Earlier in the year, it announced that it will fund IoT agriculture research at the University of Manitoba. At around the same time, Huawei released a report that suggested IoT in agriculture would give mobile operators “significant strategic advantages.”

Bell launches first pilot project on LTE-M network

Brief | November 10, 2017

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Bell launches first pilot project on LTE-M network

Brief | November 10, 2017

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