With Telstra flagging the end of the 3G network connections on 30 June next year John Deere wants its customers to upgrade their modems to 4G technology now
John Deere is urging customers to upgrade now to a 4G LTE JDLink modem, so they’re good for ongoing collection and transfer of machine data and remote diagnostics before the 3G network is shut down mid-next year.
Mobile provider Telstra will switch off 3G on 30 June 2024, with others to follow, making it critical customers move quickly to upgrade modems to 4G technology to ensure continuity of services.
Already, customers using 3G modems may be experiencing problems due to reduced network coverage, decreased transmission speeds, or complete loss of function where 3G technology has been decommissioned from specific towers by telcos.
John Deere Production System Manager Ben Kelly explained that while the loss of 3G networks in Australia could put agriculture’s connectivity at risk, customers can avoid disruptions to services by upgrading to 4G now.
“Connectivity is foundational to today’s agricultural production, enabling growers to connect their people, equipment and data to make more effective decisions, in real-time,” Ben Kelly added.
“As technology continues to improve at a rapid rate, we are seeing customers looking to retrofit their existing equipment to take advantage of the latest tools and innovation available.
“Ideally, we would prefer the 3G network stayed in place, but this is not something that can be controlled, so we are looking at this as an opportunity to provide farmers with a better experience, particularly given the improved coverage and speed offered by 4G.
“Over the next 12 months, we’ll be telling our valued customers ‘Upgrade to 4G, so you’re all G’.”
Ben Kelly went on to explain how the upgrade process was relatively simple.
“The existing 3G modem and antenna can be upgraded to 4G quickly and easily ensuring farmers receive continued connectivity, as well as access to some new functionality.
“And while there will be a hardware cost to upgrade to 4G, JDLink connectivity to John Deere Operations Center™ remains free, meaning farmers can continue to connect to equipment with no ongoing cost.”
Key benefits of 4G
Growers with 4G modems can process and transfer more data from their machines through increased processing, memory, and storage capacity, and connect wirelessly to a user-provided hotspot device for data transfer or use Bluetooth to connect to portable devices.
And in addition, here is a list of further reasons to make the change now.
- Near real-time machine monitoring – view current machine location with five second updates and track 24-hour history on a map in Operations Center web and mobile
- Improved Remote Display Access – solve in-cab problems and monitor what operators are doing in real-time by viewing the display inside the cab remotely through the Operations Center web and mobile with a faster connection, reducing the lag between the in-cab display and the remote device
- Data Sync – the automatic syncing of agronomic and setup data from the machine to a customer’s Operations Center account, ensuring all machines and devices are using the same data set.
- Remote diagnostics – 4G’s faster remote connection reduces the time taken for diagnostics and reprogramming and enables diagnostic tools like Service ADVISOR™ Remote and Expert Alerts notifications to monitor machine health and prevent machine downtime.
“June 2024 may still be 12 months away, but we’d encourage customers to start speaking to their local John Deere Dealer now about their options to upgrade from 3G to 4G,” Ben Kelly went on to say.
“Never before has on-farm connectivity offered such significant gains to efficiency and productivity for farmers, so we urge customers not to leave it to the last minute and upgrade now to keep their farm connected.”
