Need Help With Large Data File Transfers

[cessna206]

I'm not a techie so let me get that out of the way first. I work for a start-up company that is trying to find the best way for farmers with slow internet speeds, to access large data files (500 mb) without having to wait for hours to get their data. We are currently sending them a link to OneDrive to access their imagery data.

There may not be an easy solution to this issue out there, but if there is I would sure appreciate some feedback on how this might be achieved.

The files are imagery files (.kmz or .tiff). Can they be compressed? Is there a cloud based server that can speed things up somehow? Any other suggestions??

Thanks!

 

[U.F.O.]

You need faster isp if there is one in range.

Or make wisp or mesh network, but that can be a large cost up front.

I suffered that way for a long time, eventually moved and now getting 30mpbs for $30/month and no speed throttle or cap.

On the farm it was $80 for "unlimited" lte that slowed to 3g speed for the whole month after the 10gb or whatever pittance they have at usable speed. That or sat or dial up. And some places are dark because the military jams all cell and landlines for security and they are too close to that, but to far from civilization for the cable or fiber companies to roll down the street for less than six figures.

Vice did a great expose about it: The Digital Divide

And it was about how most city dwellers or suburbanites are unaware of the lack of access in the rural community, how hard it is to raise children, pay bills, do business at competitive speed, etc and how the way the cell infrastructure was built caters to cities and there are dead zones in between, that have monopoly or nothing.

We can do better. My farm was less that quarter mile from 100mbps cable, but city attorney made franchise agreement with cable and fiber saying they are only obligated to provide resources to 70% of the city.

It was working in the 1970's when originally agreed upon, but for the past 15 years they made my community paupers and I had to leave to survive.

 

[PP Mguire]

Being in Canada might make it a bit tougher depending on where the areas are. The only thing you can do is search for a new ISP for each farmer to see what's available outside of what they currently have.

 

[limfx]

change the resolution or make format change is possible or not

 

[tehnokraat]

Absolutely agree with @limfx, why should You use such a weird formats, if internet is slow. First convert all files as small format as possible, ie use such a formats, what gives enough good quality and smallest possible file size. Sometimes You can get tens and hundreds times smaller size (for example image files .bmp and jpg).
Sorry, I do not know what exactly are these .kmz or .tiff files, but it is certainly possible to convert them to other formats so that the quality is maintained, but the file size would be smaller.
Internet speed is often impossible to change. Or it requires a lot of time or resource.
And of course, you can compress them (these files), but not to a great extent.

 

[carnageX]

Sounds like they're map images (going by the KMZ file extension you mentioned). @limfx & @kalju - map images tend to require very high resolution imagery (at least from my experience working with things like ArcGIS imagery data).

So going off of what PP said...they'll need better ISP's if you're wanting to push that much data. Unless you can stream the data with something like Esri's ArcGIS products, if mapping is indeed what you're doing.

 

[Trotter]

Not trying to sound all Luddite but have you considered putting them on small and dirt cheap flash drives and sending them to said farmers? Sometimes simple solutions work the best.

 

[U.F.O.]

Sneaker net was my first response too but I was too ashamed to suggest it as first reply. Meh it works. You could get a lot of usb flash in bulk and go to the mailbox a lot haha. Lots of gps apps use kmz I don't think it's weird. Maybe dude runs a survey company?

 

[PP Mguire]

I didn't suggest that because I have a feeling it's updated map content based on agricultural growth.

 

[carnageX]

I didn't suggest that because I have a feeling it's updated map content based on agricultural growth.

My thoughts as well.

Or even flooding, property boundaries, hunting lands, etc. I know we provide info like that to state citizens here - and then some - through our services we map through Esri.