SpaceX Starlink satellite Internet is enabling “smart farming” in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Entrepreneur Chan Dara is revolutionizing agriculture in the Asian country. He has taken the lead in incorporating Starlink's high-speed internet to assist the farming landscape with technology.
SpaceX operates a constellation of approximately 4,519 Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that provide internet service to over 1.5 million subscribers living across 60 countries and counting. Starlink satellites are capable of connecting Earth’s most remote and rural regions where farmers traditionally cultivate their crops.
Mr. Dara told a Cambodian news outlet called ‘The Phnom Penh Post,’ that he envisions a significant boost to the country's agricultural sector through the integration of cutting-edge technology. Dara, who previously worked in California's self-driving car industry, has already established an agro-tour farm spanning 60 hectares in Veal Renh. The farm is cultivating various fruits like durian and rambutan, along with crops like vanilla, cacao, bananas, dragon fruit, and coconuts. However, his ambition goes beyond traditional farming practices.
With Starlink's high-speed internet now accessible in the region, Mr. Dara plans to establish a smart farm that leverages Internet of Things (IoT) devices, robotics, and precision geospatial GIS farming tools. Through automation, these technologies can streamline labor-intensive processes like irrigation, pest detection, and harvesting, significantly reducing the resources needed for farming.
The implementation of IoT technologies would also enable real-time farm monitoring, automated smart irrigation, planting and harvesting done by robots, and even marketing and branding opportunities through live streaming. Each plant would be equipped with a QR code that provides essential information about its species, cultivation techniques, and data tracking, enhancing agricultural knowledge for farmers and visitors alike.
Mr. Dara's realization of the potential for ‘agritech applications’ came during a visit to his family's farm in Veal Renh, where he observed the limitations of traditional farming practices and unreliable mobile phone reception in the area. Driven by his passion for emerging technologies, he sought to digitize and modernize Cambodian agriculture.
The advent of Starlink's internet in Cambodia has opened up new opportunities for entrepreneurs, students, and farmers alike to access the latest technologies and knowledge in the agricultural field. This convergence of technology and farming promises to transform Cambodia's agricultural landscape and pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient future.
As Chan Dara continues to pioneer smart farming practices in Cambodia, the nation eagerly anticipates the transformative impact of high-speed internet on its agriculture sector. With the potential to optimize resources, increase yields, and foster technological innovation, Starlink's presence in the Kingdom could mark the beginning of a new era in Cambodian agriculture.
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Featured Images Source: Mr. Chan Dara / The Phnom Penh Post
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
