Published on October 6th, 2022

LinkWorx President Nigel Jay was recently asked: Despite the difficulties of switching from 3G, what would you tell farmers to assure them that it will be to their benefit?

Here's how he answered:

Well, there is a lot to this simple sounding question. This is may not be what you are looking for, but it's a good place to start.

First, 3G is going away.  Carriers are retiring support and network access for 3G devices to make room for expanded 4G LTE and 5G.

That said, any users, especially agriculture equipment still on 3G, will need to upgrade to 4G/5G.

Second, there are 3 key pain points with network migrations.

1. Selecting the optimal plan:  Cost efficient data plans are key.  Most 4G/5G data plans are monthly plans.  While this works well for the typical user, farmers are not typical users.  Farmers are seasonal users.  Monthly plans render the farmer in a cost disadvantage position, where the monthly costs do not match production (ie, pay too much for overage during planting and harvesting, and pay too much in between when not using any data).  LinkWorx solves this problem via your YEARLY FREEDOM PLANS, where data usage is budgeted over 12 months instead of 1 month.
2. Selecting the best network:  Reliability is key. This is especially critical as carriers retire and repurpose their networks. Such activity leads to extended periods (months) where wireless network coverage is spotty or absent, where it was once reliable.  LinkWorx solves this problem by offering a DUAL SIM OPTION on our YEARLY FREEDOM PLANS.  For a nominal fee, farmers can have both AT&T and Verizon networks available.
3. Set-Up Configuration:  Ease of deployment is key.  Farmers should focus on their business, not dedicate resources to IT or wireless setup.  LinkWorx solves this by extending our trained staff to assist with new network configurations.

Nigel went on to say,

"I should point out that while current 3G customers need to upgrade to 4G, current 4G customers can also benefit from LinkWorx’ YEARLY FREEDOM PLANS, including a DUAL SIM option and our configuration (technical) support."

And there you have it. Contact our team at LinkWorx for more information.