Remote Cattle Properties: Managed Campus Wi-Fi

Australia's largest integrated cattle producer manages roughly 456,000 head across properties, feedlots and farms in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Across five remote properties there were no traditional terrestrial telecommunications services and no mobile coverage in operational areas or staff accommodation, yet reliable communications are essential to safety, coordination and efficiency, and to staff well-being, satisfaction and retention.

The challenge

The customer needed a dependable, durable solution that would not degrade as foliage and trees grew, which had proven a particular problem for earlier Wi-Fi networks on these properties.

A managed Wi-Fi network built around a fixed wireless base station

MarchNet proposed several options and the customer selected the recommended design: a managed Wi-Fi network at each of the five properties, fed by a ProConnect base station providing a fixed wireless local distribution network. The base station uses licensed spectrum and far higher power than traditional point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless, giving low-latency, high-speed, reliable coverage across operational areas, accommodation buildings and beyond, while overcoming signal loss from foliage, trees and buildings.

Corporate network and internet connectivity came from interfacing the base station with the satellite services the customer already had at each property, simplifying the solution and reducing cost. The customer's IT team noted that the recommendation, made with past obstruction problems in mind, turned out to be the right one.

Monitored and supported 24x7

MarchNet provides ongoing monitoring and support, including rapid repairs. Remote monitoring and a 24x7 NOC allow trends to be analysed and preventative maintenance carried out before service is affected.

The outcome

• Seamless connectivity: consistent data and voice across the operational area for real-time, safe coordination.
• Increased productivity: reliable access to corporate systems, cloud applications and communication tools.
• Improved staff well-being: in-room and outdoor Wi-Fi for contact with family and friends and access to entertainment, supporting morale and retention.
• Operational flexibility: capacity for future network expansion.
• Reduced costs: better penetration through foliage and buildings means less distribution infrastructure, and the standards-based base station works with a wide range of off-the-shelf Wi-Fi access points.
• Future-ready: the far wider coverage reaches devices and infrastructure outside the current operational areas, and the base station can be upgraded from fixed wireless to a 4G/5G mobile data network.

The customer can focus on managing cattle rather than on IT and connectivity.

Talk to MarchNet: 1300 627 244 | sales@marchnet.com.au