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SEPTEMBER 2015
7
business
solutions
Lessons in
Rural
Technology
CEO Brian Thomason observes
farm operations first-hand
A
s a rural communications company, BVTC is focused
on serving the heart of its customer base, which is
located predominately in agricultural areas. Recently,
CEO Brian Thomason decided to visit several Kansas farms to
better understand the challenges farmers face today. Thomason
explains, “I wanted to capture a basic understanding of how
technology—specifically, broadband—could contribute to the
overall success of their operations.” He visited Glen Brunkow
in Westmoreland, Adam Dressman in Frankfort, Craig Pringle
in Winfield, and Matt Splitter in Lyons.
Thomason’s trips surpassed his initial expectations. He says,
“Each visit presented a unique learning opportunity. From
being invited in to a farmer’s home and served breakfast at his
family’s table to riding in the cab of a young farmer’s tractor,
I was given the chance to get to know hard-working Kansans
and experience their love and passion for farming, as well as
the close ties they have to the land they work.”
Through these visits, Thomason learned five key areas
in which broadband has positively impacted farming:
1. Soil mapping
2. Precision farming
3. Monitoring systems
4. Monitoring markets
5. Management of financial operations
Thomason was told by three of the four farmers that they
believe only 10 percent of the country’s farmers utilize techno-
logy in their operations. “I’ve read that by 2050, the need for
crop production must double in order to feed the world’s
population,” says Thomason. “I feel strongly that this can
only be accomplished by technological advancements made
through the utilization of broadband.”
Another challenge for the farmers is cost and capability limi-
tations for cellular and wireless phones. Thomason observes,
“Three out of four of these farmers are using their cellular or
wireless connections for their primary Internet source. In one
situation, a trip to the local library is required in order to find
sufficient broadband speeds
to allow for updates and
data downloads.”
For technology utilization to
grow from 10 percent to 20
percent and beyond, and for
cellular service to expand, the
demand on companies such
as BVTC will be tremendous.
Many companies, including BVTC, have already started deploy-
ing Gigabit technology, but there is still a lot of area left to reach.
Thomason stresses, “Companies with Gigabit speeds in place are
not over-compensating; they’re pre-planning in an effort to keep
up with growing demands.”