Satellite broadband for trains on one of Scotland’s most remote railway lines and low-cost crop sensors for farmers are among 16 projects sharing £13 million of government funding announced by the UK Space Agency on Tuesday.
The projects will be delivered through the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES) programme, backed by UK government money. The agency, now part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said the funding supports the companies and workers developing the satellite communications systems the UK will depend on for decades to come.
CGI IT UK receives £428,000 for its SODOR project, which will fit a ScotRail train on the West Highland Line with satellite communications equipment to provide reliable broadband in one of the UK’s most remote rail corridors, demonstrating how satellite technology can fill connectivity gaps where mobile and broadband networks do not reach.
The agency said the trial supports the government’s wider work to introduce satellite connectivity on all mainland trains, improving availability and connection speeds for passengers across the country.
In agriculture, London-based Farmer Charlie receives £199,000 for its GAUFF project, which is developing low-cost sensors that combine satellite and mobile connectivity to give farmers and growers real-time data on their crops, soil and local environment. The technology is designed to work in rural areas with poor or no internet coverage and is expected to be available by the end of next summer, the agency said.
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