Precision Agriculture and Sensor Systems Applications in Colombia through 5G Networks
Wilson Arrubla-Hoyos,
Adelaida Ojeda-Beltrán,
Andrés Solano-Barliza,
Geovanny Rambauth-Ibarra,
Alexis Barrios-Ulloa,
Dora Cama-Pinto,
Francisco Manuel Arrabal-Campos,
Juan Antonio Martínez-Lao,
Alejandro Cama-Pinto,
Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro
Affiliations
Wilson Arrubla-Hoyos
Faculty of Engineering, Bicentennial Scholarship–Ministry of Sciences, Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, Sincelejo 700002, Colombia
Adelaida Ojeda-Beltrán
Faculty of Economy, Bicentennial Scholarship–Ministry of Sciences, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia 081007, Colombia
Andrés Solano-Barliza
Faculty of Engineering, Bicentennial Scholarship–Ministry of Sciences, Universidad de La Guajira, Riohacha 440002, Colombia
Geovanny Rambauth-Ibarra
Department of Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bicentennial Scholarship–Ministry of Sciences, Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo 700001, Colombia
Alexis Barrios-Ulloa
Department of Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bicentennial Scholarship–Ministry of Sciences, Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo 700001, Colombia
Dora Cama-Pinto
Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Francisco Manuel Arrabal-Campos
Department Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almería, Spain
Juan Antonio Martínez-Lao
Department Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almería, Spain
Alejandro Cama-Pinto
Department of Computer Science and Electronics, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro
Department Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almería, Spain
The growing global demand for food and the environmental impact caused by agriculture have made this activity increasingly dependent on electronics, information technology, and telecommunications technologies. In Colombia, agriculture is of great importance not only as a commercial activity, but also as a source of food and employment. However, the concept of smart agriculture has not been widely applied in this country, resulting in the high production of various types of crops due to the planting of large areas of land, rather than optimization of the processes involved in the activity. Due to its technical characteristics and the radio spectrum considered in its deployment, 5G can be seen as one of the technologies that could generate the greatest benefits for the Colombian agricultural sector, especially in the most remote rural areas, which currently lack mobile network coverage. This article provides an overview of the current 5G technology landscape in Colombia and presents examples of possible 5G/IoT applications that could be developed in Colombian fields. The results show that 5G could facilitate the implementation of the smart farm in Colombia, improving current production and efficiency. It is useful when designing 5G implementation plans and strategies, since it categorizes crops by regions and products. This is based on budget availability, population density, and regional development plans, among others.
