Agriculture · 22 Nov 2025
IoT Connectivity for Agriculture UK
Smart farming is transforming UK agriculture. But IoT sensors, automated feeders, and CCTV all need reliable connectivity. Here's how to get it right.
Modern farming runs on data. Soil sensors, water monitors, livestock trackers, weather stations, and automated gates all send information back to a central system.
But these IoT devices need reliable connectivity. One dropped connection means 6 hours of missing data. One missed alert means a gate stays open.
Here's how to set up IoT connectivity on your farm.
Common Farm IoT Applications
Livestock Monitoring
- GPS trackers on animals (cattle, sheep)
- Health sensors (temperature, activity)
- Alerts when animals leave geofenced areas
Soil and Field Management
- Soil moisture sensors
- Weather stations (rainfall, wind, temperature)
- Soil quality monitors
- Automated irrigation triggers
Equipment and Infrastructure
- Fuel tank monitors (illegal siphoning alerts)
- Generator status (backup power tracking)
- Gate/door opening alerts
- Shed security cameras
Water and Energy
- Borehole pump monitors
- Water tank level sensors
- Solar panel output monitors
- Electric fence voltage monitors
Connectivity Challenge
Farms are spread out. Your main farmhouse might have broadband, but your:
- Back 40 acres are 2km away
- Livestock grazing area is 5km out
- Water tank is 3km north
Standard WiFi doesn't reach. Cellular might be patchy.
IoT devices need long-range, low-power, reliable connectivity.
IoT Connectivity Options
Option 1: WiFi + Range Extenders
Extend your main WiFi across the property using repeaters or mesh nodes.
Pros:
- Uses existing broadband
- Budget-friendly equipment cost
- Good for close distances (outbuildings)
Cons:
- Won't reach 2km+
- Mesh network becomes unreliable at distance
- Doesn't solve connectivity problem for remote fields
Use case: Connect barn 500m away, shed 1km away. Not suitable for remote field sensors.
Option 2: LoRaWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network)
LoRaWAN is a specialized protocol for IoT. Uses low power, long range (10km+), but very slow data rate.
Pros:
- Extremely long range (10km+ line-of-sight)
- Very low power (sensors run on batteries for years)
- Purpose-built for IoT
Cons:
- Requires LoRaWAN gateway hardware
- Limited by UK network availability (not all areas have LoRaWAN coverage)
- Slow (not suitable for real-time camera streaming)
Use case: Soil moisture sensors, livestock GPS, weather stations. Not cameras.
Option 3: Cellular IoT (NB-IoT / LTE-M)
Specialised cellular protocols for IoT devices. Slower than regular 4G, but optimised for IoT.
Pros:
- Works on existing cellular networks (EE, Vodafone, O2)
- Long battery life
- Decent coverage
Cons:
- Slower than 4G
- Limited to simple data (not video)
- Doesn't solve connectivity for remote areas outside cell range
Use case: Livestock trackers, soil sensors, alerts. Not video monitoring.
Option 4: P2P Radio Mesh (Recommended for Farms)
Point-to-point radio links bridging from main broadband to remote areas. Creates a mesh network across the property.
How it works:
- Main site has broadband + radio transmitter
- Radio antenna on main house broadcasts
- Remote locations have receiving antenna + local WiFi/Ethernet
- Data flows back through the radio link
Real example: Main farmhouse has Integra Pro broadband. Radio antenna on the roof broadcasts. Your barn 2km away has receiving antenna + WiFi mesh covering the barn and grazing fields nearby.
Pros:
- Works across the entire property (line-of-sight)
- Reliable (dedicated connection, not shared cellular)
- Integrates with your main broadband
- Can reach 5-10km with high-gain antennas
Cons:
- Requires professional installation
- Needs line-of-sight (can't go through dense forest)
- Weather impact minimal but rain can reduce range
Use case: Farms with multiple buildings or remote areas needing connectivity.
Real Example: Hillcrest Farm (Herefordshire)
Hillcrest Farm runs a beef operation across 200 acres. They needed:
- Livestock GPS tracking (animals across the property)
- Water tank monitoring (borehole 2km away)
- Grazing field soil sensors
- Remote CCTV (barn and main gates)
Solution: Integra Pro broadband at main house + P2P radio mesh.
Setup:
- 4G/5G bonded connection at farmhouse
- Radio antenna on barn roof, linked to farmhouse
- Remote WiFi mesh nodes in grazing fields
- Livestock GPS trackers (cellular SIM each)
- IoT sensors (soil, water, cameras) on the remote WiFi network
Result:
- Livestock data updated every 30 seconds
- Water tank alerts real-time
- CCTV monitoring 24/7
- Soil moisture triggered automatic irrigation
Cost: P2P radio installation + Integra Pro monthly subscription + per-device SIM costs. Contact us for a detailed quote.
IoT Connectivity Recommendation Framework
Single building / under 500m distance:
- WiFi range extenders or mesh (budget-friendly one-time investment)
Multiple buildings / 500m-2km distance:
- P2P radio mesh + your main broadband
Remote fields / 2km+ distance:
- Cellular IoT (livestock trackers with SIM cards) for mobile devices
- LoRaWAN sensors for stationary monitoring (if coverage available)
- P2P radio for extending main broadband to relay points
Entire property with mixed requirements:
- Main broadband (Integra Pro or similar) + P2P radio mesh for connectivity + mix of cellular IoT for mobile assets + LoRaWAN/NB-IoT sensors where applicable
Data Requirements
Most farm IoT devices use minimal data:
- Livestock GPS: 1-2MB/day per tracker
- Soil sensors: 100KB/day each
- Weather station: 500KB/day
- CCTV streaming: 5-10GB/day if continuous
Integra Pro's multi-network SIMs provide around 1.8TB of data per month — far more than any farm IoT setup would use. A fair usage policy applies, but in practice agricultural IoT sensors use very little data.
Important: Cellular SIM vs WiFi for IoT
IoT devices with cellular SIM:
- Work anywhere (even remote fields)
- No WiFi dependency
- Battery-powered sensors use less power than WiFi
- Cost: Competitive monthly rate per device
IoT devices on your WiFi:
- Rely on WiFi coverage
- Need WiFi infrastructure (mesh nodes, repeaters)
- Work well for stationary sensors
- Cost: One-time WiFi setup
Hybrid approach: Mix both. Livestock trackers get cellular SIMs (they roam). Barn sensors on WiFi (they're stationary).
Next Step
Want to map IoT on your farm? Send us:
- Farm location (postcode)
- Property size and layout
- Specific IoT needs (livestock tracking? soil sensors? CCTV?)
- Key buildings/areas needing coverage
We'll design a connectivity plan with costs.
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