Verizon EVP sees agricultural applications as a promising market for the Internet of Things.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

August 16, 2016

1 Min Read
Verizon Likes IoT Down on The Farm

A Verizon executive says that the operator is "really starting to see some pick-up" in agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) EVP, David Small, talking at the Oppenhiemer Technology Conference last week, noted that what he called "ag tech" is becoming an interesting market for the operator.

Specifically, putting moisture-measuring sensors a few feet into the ground -- particularly in drought stricken-areas such as California and Texas -- allows farmers to "really target where you need to put water and where you don't need to put water."

"It's more efficient for a farmer... it is better for society," Small added. "We certainly make a few bucks in the play, and we like that as well."

For all the latest news on the Internet of Things, visit the our IoT section here on Light Reading.

The nod at agricultural applications is interesting because US operators haven't been super-vocal about which markets they expect to be IoT's biggest -- only that the overall sector will be important.

Oh sure, AT&T will tell you that connected cars are important, while Verizon usually bigs up its fleet management skills, but it's nice to get a few more actual pieces to start to fill in the IoT jigsaw puzzle. (See Verizon Buys Big Into IoT With $2.4B Fleetmatics Deal.)

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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