More ways of getting connected

Few farmers today can function optimally without the Internet. But with many farms far off the beaten track, connectivity remains a challenge.

If you’re having problems in this regard, consider Afrihost (afrihost.com). An acquaintance of mine who needs reliable connectivity and fast upload/download speeds swears by it. His signal is relayed from a cell phone tower about 5km away, and he receives a download speed of around 26Mbps, which is very good indeed.

Router

For Internet connectivity, you need a Wi-Fi router, an all-band cellular antenna, and an extension cable for the aerial. These can be ordered from Afrihost, or any other Internet service provider (ISP).

You can register with Afrihost online. Open its webpage (Afrihost.com) and choose ‘Mobile’, then select ‘Monthto-month mobile data’.

One of Afrihost’s best features is the ‘Clientzone’, which allows you to control your monthly data purchases without a contract. Packages range from 500MB to 10GB.

Tw o more

Maxwell/Paratus Telecoms (Maxwell.co.za) is another Internet service provider (ISP) that claims to offer Internet connectivity to ‘unserviced’ areas. Its mobile Internet connectivity packages range from 20GB to 200GB. The company also has a monthly data top-up option. Vox (vox.co.za), yet another ISP, offers single SIM, multi SIM and LTE-A packages for mobile connectivity. The multi SIM option is targeted at small businesses, and is ideal for most farms. You can connect as many as 10 SIMs to one account, enabling greater connectivity all round and making it easier to manage connected devices.

Other options

These are only three ISPs; many more are available. Do your homework carefully, and if possible, speak to one or two customers.

(Incidentally, to check your Internet connectivity, visit speedtest.net.)

• Greg Miles is a livestock farmer and Internet marketer. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Online farmer.