DPIRD upgrades 173 weather stations across WA to 4G network ahead of Telstra 3G switch off

Weather stations across regional WA have been upgraded to 4G ahead of Telstra’s planned halt of its 3G network service later this year to ensure the service will continue uninterrupted. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has upgraded 173 stations in the Great Southern, Wheatbelt, Mid-West, Peel, Goldfields-Esperance and near Carnarvon and Kununurra. DPIRD farming systems innovation director David Ferris said the move was an opportunity to invest in lasting and high-grade equipment. “The locally made Unidata CatM-1 technology is a form of Low Power Wide Area Network technology, known as LPWAN, which provides superior coverage and increased speeds for Internet of Things, or IoT, devices and applications,” he said. “This investment will ensure regional businesses and residents throughout the State have a high-quality service they can rely on for years to come.” Farmers and pastoralists around the State rely on the data recorded by the stations, which includes air temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction data. Most stations also measure incoming solar radiation. “Summer provides a salient reminder of how important weather data is to regional communities, guiding harvest and livestock management, as well as responses to fires, storms and flooding,” Mr Ferris said. “We’ve had great feedback from landholders and communities that have integrated weather data into their operations, which we use to refine the service to ensure it adapts to the needs of users.”