5G Internet for Farms: Continuous Connectivity for Packhouses, Offices, and Outbuildings

A Robustel Application Example

Application Example – Fast Facts

Industry

Agriculture, Environmental Monitoring, Smart Farming

Product(s)

R5020-Lite 5G Router, RCMS

Challenges

Farm businesses now depend on cloud tools, remote support, and real-time data, but buildings are dispersed and fixed lines are patchy. Starlink (or other satellite) adds capacity, yet weather, contention, and backhaul transitions can still interrupt service at the worst time grading, packing, payroll, or compliance uploads.

Expected Outcomes

A resilient 5G/LTE backbone that feeds existing switches and Wi-Fi access points, with clean failover to (or from) Starlink so work continues uninterrupted. Fleet-wide monitoring, policy-based change control, and secure remote access reduce site visits and keep operations moving.

Connectivity that works where the work happens

Packhouses, farm offices, and sheds are now production environments: inventory, QA photos, label printing, weighbridges, compliance portals, even contractor onboarding all rely on stable internet. When the link drops, lines slow, staff go idle, and deadlines slip.

Modern farms blend access types fixed line where available, Starlink for reach and bandwidth, and 5G for performance and path diversity. The goal isn’t a single “perfect” link; it’s a design that keeps sites online through weather, outages, and seasonal load. This is where a carrier-class 5G router with clean failover earns its keep.

Business Challenges

Agricultural sites aren’t cable-dense office parks. They’re spread out, often at the edge of coverage, and they run on schedules set by harvests, buyers, and logistics. Connectivity must be simple to maintain and tolerant of real-world chaos.

  • Dispersed buildings and mixed last-mile: Offices, packhouses, and cool rooms sit hundreds of metres apart with different access types.
  • Starlink variability: Great throughput but subject to weather, dish placement, and contention needing graceful failover when it blips.
  • Coverage and RF constraints: Patchy 5G/4G/LTE indoors; long cable runs and metal sheds complicate placement and antenna choice.
  • Operational windows: Links must hold through peak periods intake, grading, shipping when downtime is most costly.
  • Limited on-site IT: Changes should be template-driven, auditable, and recoverable without sending a specialist to site.

Solution Overview

Put a robust 5G/LTE anchor in each building, feed existing switches and Wi-Fi access points, and layer in clean policy-based failover to Starlink or fixed line. Manage everything centrally so sites behave consistently and recover predictably.

  • R5020-Lite as the site anchor: High-performance 5G router with dual SIM support for carrier diversity; Ethernet to your switch/APs; DIN-rail/cabinet-friendly for plant rooms and comms cupboards.
  • Primary/backup design: Run 5G as primary with Starlink on Ethernet WAN as failover or invert it if satellite is your primary pipe. Automatic switchover keeps sessions alive and staff working.
  • RF done right: Use directional or high-gain antennas to pull signal into steel-framed sheds; place the router where RF is clean and backhaul to LAN over Ethernet.
  • Centralised operations with RCMS (optional): Zero-Touch provisioning, configuration templates, and ring-based firmware rollouts. Monitor uptime, data use, and signal quality; alert before issues become outages.
  • Secure remote access (optional): RobustVPN provides a fixed private address space so approved users can reach cameras, controllers, and PCs at the site without bespoke SIMs or risky port-forwards.

Expected Customer Outcomes

Reliable service during peak work, fewer callouts, and clear evidence that the network is under control.

  • Farm Operations Manager:
    • Uptime at peak: Packing, QA, and dispatch continue even when one access path falters.
    • Predictable change: Standardised templates avoid one-off tweaks that break later.
  • Head of IT/OT:
    • Control and audit: Central policy, activity logs, and simple rollback build trust with the business.
    • Risk reduction: No exposed ports; remote access via least-privilege VPN when needed.
  • Packhouse Manager:
    • Less stoppage time: Label printers, scanners, and portals stay reachable; deadlines are met.
    • Clear escalation: Alerts point to the real fault (RF, SIM, backhaul) so fixes are fast.
  • Systems Integrator / MSP:
    • Fewer truck rolls: Zero-Touch onboarding and remote diagnostics replace most site visits.
    • Repeatable rollouts: One proven design scales from one shed to the whole estate.

Featured Products

Robustel R5020-Lite 5G Router
R5020-Lite Product Page
RCMS Cloud Device Management
RCMS Software Page

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Let’s design a resilient connectivity plan for your packhouses and farm buildings 5G, Starlink, and failover that just works. Speak to an expert and we’ll map the right architecture for your sites.

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