Crisis-Communication Between Farms: Disruption-Tolerant Networking with Commodity LoRaWAN Hardware

In rural areas, where restoring public network infrastructure can take time, an alternative communication channel can be particularly valuable. This paper explores the potential of repurposing long-range wide-area network gateways as multi-hop network nodes to create a digital emergency communication system. Farmers, who are increasingly adopting low-power wide-area networks and are geographically spread, are identified as key stakeholders for such a system. Using OpenStreetMap data on farm locations, we found that connecting farm communities through LoRa communication is theoretically possible in many areas. Simulations using delay-tolerant network routing protocols confirm the feasibility of this approach under various scenarios. A proof-of-concept implementation demonstrates that small messages can be transmitted successfully using real hardware, validating the concept of a decentralized communication infrastructure based on existing equipment. Additionally, we conducted experiments to measure energy consumption, bandwidth usage, and latency in actual hardware setups. This work contributes to various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting resilient communication infrastructure in underserved areas (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure); strengthening rural communities that are often the last to recover after emergencies (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities); and ultimately helping safeguard food systems through improved agricultural coordination and communication (SDG 2: Zero Hunger).