SIMs for agriculture and environmental monitoring.
Fields, hills and riverbanks have no Wi-Fi and rarely a single strong network. ThingSIM connects sensors out there on whichever network reaches, and bills each SIM per month once it is switched on.
What the kit needs
Rural coverage
In the countryside one network can be strong where the others are absent. A 4-network SIM gives each sensor all four to choose from.
Seasonal kit
Collars go on at lambing and come off in autumn. Keep spare SIMs unactivated until they are needed, and cease any you will not reuse next year.
Battery-friendly data
Environmental sensors wake, send a few readings and sleep. The smallest plan is enough for most.
How it connects
50 MB, UK 4-network, one SIM per sensor or gateway.
Several sensors reporting through one gateway need only one SIM between them.
Questions people ask
Which SIM works best in rural areas?
A multi-network SIM. In the countryside one network can be strong where the others are absent, and a UK 4-network ThingSIM lets each sensor use whichever of O2, Vodafone, Three and EE reaches it.
How much data does a farm sensor use?
Environmental sensors wake, send a few readings and sleep, so the 50 MB plan is enough for most, at £0.90 a month on the 4-network plan.
What happens to SIMs out of season?
Pause a SIM from the portal when its collar comes off, and bring it back next season. A paused SIM is still billed, so cease any you will not reuse; a SIM not yet switched on starts billing 30 days after despatch.
Do I need a SIM in every sensor?
Not always. Several sensors reporting through one gateway need only one SIM between them.
