Nokia joins ConectarAGRO to bring access for over 500,000 Brazilian farmers to IoT and Agriculture 4.0 technologies

• Nokia joins ConectarAGRO, an initiative of eight agribusiness and high technology companies, to improve connectivity issues and spur the use of precision agriculture technologies by Brazilian farmers
• Nokia will provide microwave, satellite, 4G products and services working in close cooperation with Brazilian network operator, TIM

Nokia today announced that it has joined ConectarAGRO initiative to promote innovative connectivity solutions to the Brazilian agribusiness sector. It was created by agribusiness leaders CNH, AGCO, Bayer, Jacto, Solinftec and Trimble, and telecom leaders Nokia and TIM. ConectarAGRO will bring connectivity to some of the 93% of Brazilian farmers who currently have no wireless access to broadband services on their farms. Nokia will contribute the technology to enable TIM to provide 4G coverage and support IoT and other precision agricultural technologies that will boost yields and help to meet rising food demand.

There is currently next-to-no wireless broadband coverage of Brazil's agricultural areas (less than 7%). The companies supporting ConectarAGRO initiative will contribute to enable 500,000 Brazilian farms, for the first time, to connect their farm fleets, employ robots, temperature and moisture sensors, drone aerial images and GPS - boosting farm yields for soybeans, cotton, corn, sugar cane and many other crops while reducing fuel consumption, insecticides and water for irrigation. This will give a significant boost to Brazil's agribusiness segment, which in 2017 contributed to 23.5% of Brazilian GDP and accounted for nearly 80% of GDP growth.

As part of its contribution to the ConectarAGRO initiative, Nokia will develop and provide solutions for the agribusiness sector and Agriculture 4.0. Nokia's wireless broadband solutions include 4G/LTE and 5G, as well as satellite and microwave technology. These will provide a powerful connectivity platform for supporting advanced IoT solutions that improve efficient use of resources and boost productivity for farmers. Nokia is currently the only connectivity technology vendor contributing to ConectarAGRO and plans to expand its activities to other rural areas in Latin American and worldwide.

Gregory Riordan, Director of Digital Technologies for CNH Industrial South America, said: "Brazil already has some of the most advanced farmers on the planet that use state-of-the-art technologies and management practices. However, reaching the next level of productivity is impossible without connectivity. We are eager to collaborate with a company of Nokia's caliber to find innovative solutions, especially for farmers in underserved areas. The agricultural sector is a key contributor to Brazil's economy and we are proud to have joined with the other members of the ConectarAGRO initiative to serve and enhance Brazilian Agriculture."

Rafael Marquez, Marketing Director Corporate Market at TIM Brasil said: "This initiative connects machines and people. On the business side it drives productivity, efficiency and economic growth. On the social side it has the potential to change millions of lives, providing voice and internet connectivity, enabling access to education, entertainment and public services."

Luiz Tonisi, Head of Market Unit Brazil at Nokia, said: "The ConectarAGRO initiative provides an industry-coordinated approach to facilitate the development of these precision agricultural technologies for Brazil's farmers. This open approach will help to spur innovation by creating an ecosystem of companies that can support the digital transformation of the Brazilian agricultural sector. The Nokia team is very pleased to help realize Agriculture 4.0 for Brazil's farmers."

This agreement complements work Nokia is already doing in the IoT space with its recent launch of prepackaged vertical solutions for agriculture and livestock management. These vertical solutions are offered on Nokia's Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING), which is gaining increased interest and customer traction across South America.

Source: Nokia media announcement