(DLG / Telespazio). Providing the population with fast internet in the industrial sector is a highly discussed topic on the news. In large parts of rural areas, download rates of 25 Mbps or more are still nothing more than wishful thinking. Even when fast internet is theoretically available, farmers, whose farms are located at the edge or outside the residential areas, often receive only small bandwidths. The reason for this is that a large part of the internet speed is lost at the “last mile” due to signal damping. Looking at broadband expansion, isolated farms regularly have to bear the development costs of terrestrial, cable-based broadband access.
In these cases, a wireless internet supply via satellite DSL can close this gap. To this end, the DLG Test CenterTechnology and Farm Inputs (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e. V.) has tested the operational behaviour of a suitable hardware solution from Telespazio VEGA Deutschland, consisting of a satellite dish, an interactive LNB and a professional DSL modem, and has collected important performance data. The award of the quality seal “DLG APPROVED” confirms standard ping times as well as upload and download rates far exceeding the requirements of the DLG Examination Board. The performance has been assessed in a long-term test over three months. The system allows for a geographical allocation via the IP address and thus access to country-specific offerings; the power consumption is at 26 W with 230 V supply voltage.
Subsequently, a fast internet access via satellite can be provided anywhere, also in currently underserved areas or in case of (too) great distance to the next telecommunication distribution frame. The running costs of this solution are comparable with terrestrial offers; merely the hardware costs for the satellite dish and the associated professional modem, starting at around €600 plus installation, have to be considered on top. The stationary satellite solution is, according to the manufacturer, resistant towards various weather conditions and can be purchased by business clients, including farmers. Further services in the Telespazio VEGA Deutschland offering are a 24/7 first level help desk, service level agreements (SLA) and quality of service (QoS) functionality.
The DLG test report with all detailed results is available free of charge online (in German): http://www.dlg.org/satellitenanlage_fullsat-gilat.html
DLG-APPROVED for individual criteria
A “DLG APPROVED test for individual criteria” quality mark is awarded to farm machinery that has passed a limited test programme within a DLG usability test which is conducted in accordance to independent and approved assessment criteria. The purpose of the test is to highlight a product’s specific innovations and key features. The test may be carried out either to criteria laid down in the “DLG Full Test” framework for technical products or may include further features and properties that confirm a specific value to the product. The minimum standards to be applied to the product, the test conditions and procedures as well as the criteria by which the test results are to be evaluated are defined in cooperation with a DLG group of experts. These parameters reflect the acknowledged state of the art as well as scientific findings and agricultural insights and requirements. After a product has passed the test, a test report is published and the quality mark is awarded and will remain valid for five years from the date of award.
The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs
The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs in Groß-Umstadt is the benchmark for tested agricultural products and farm inputs, as well as a leading testing and certification service provider for independent technology tests. The DLG test engineers precisely examine product developments and innovations by utilizing state-of-the-art measurement technology and testing methods gained from practice.
As an accredited and EU registered testing laboratory the DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs offers farmers and practitioners vital information and decision support for the investment planning for agricultural technology and farm inputs through recognized technology tests and DLG testing.