For CDMA SCADA customers: an alternative to Next G

Stuart Corner
Monday, 18 February 2008 15:29

Your IT - Home IT

The problems faced by CDMA cellphone users being forced to migrate to Next G have been highly publicised, but rural businesses using the network for SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) also face problems migrating to Next G. Satellite communications are being touted as one solution. The issues facing businesses using CDMA for SCADA were highlighted by shadow communications minister, Bruce Billson, in January when he issued a press release saying "Australian farmers and natural systems managers have raised concerns about making the switch from CDMA to Next G when it comes to using CDMA-based remote management and monitoring systems for purposes including activating irrigation pumps and monitoring flood levels."

According to Billson, the CDMA network is also used for a variety of other purposes, including retrieving data from weather stations, opening and shutting gates and operating and monitoring alarm systems. In flood warning systems CDMA is used to transmit crucial data collected about river, stormwater and stream levels.

"Farmers are able to activate [pumps] using an SMS sent from their mobile phone. In order to make systems compatible with Next G phones I am advised data control units at the pump must be replaced at a cost of about $1250. Telstra offers a Next G migration rebate of just $100 which ends on January 28...Irrigators have also advised that the Next G control units are also difficult to obtain at a time that is during the peak of the irrigation season."

Now, Mach Communications, a specialist provider of machine-to-machine communications has just been appointed a reseller of services on the Orbcomm network of low earth orbit satellites and says these services could substitute for CDMA applications.

According to Mach Communications' managing director, Shane Murphy, "Orbcomm is ideal for applications such as vehicle tracking, personal safety, utility metering, shipping, asset and resource monitoring. For us the timing of this agreement is excellent, as many telemetry users are still searching for a replacement for existing CDMA and radio based systems."