Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should I care where my telemetry data is stored and hosted? Your data is valuable, and significant penalties may apply if water metering data is lost and you cannot prove compliance with consent conditions. Aqualinc operate an iQuest HydroTel™ server to collect and store telemetered data. HydroTel is the system chosen by the majority of regional councils for their own environmental monitoring networks because it is robust, secure, and scaleable. This is a time tested and field proven system that will protect your data.
- What would happen to my telemetry system and stored data if you went out of business? It is unlikely that Aqualinc will ever close shop, but if they did, you would not be left with orphaned equipment or data. By basing our telemetry on standard HydroTel components, Aqualinc has future-proofed your installation. Your service could be easily shifted onto iQuest’s (or any other firm with a HydroTel license) server - without having to purchase new equipment or suffer significant data loss.
- Why do you use a cell-phone modem for the telemetry? Isn’t wireless much cheaper? The primary reason to go cellular is reliability and future-proofing. The cellular network is itself a “wireless” network, just one that is operated on a licensed frequency band and run by a professional organisation whose core business is wireless communication. The wireless networks offered by some of our competitors are informal “ad-hoc” networks operating on shared public frequency bands allocated to general purpose spread spectrum devices.
Such “ad-hoc” networks have several potential problems. First, because they operate on undedicated radio spectrum, they may be susceptible to interference from other cordless devices. Second, they are often configured so that data “hops” from farm to farm before it ultimately reaches an internet connected base station. This means that a breakdown of the network on someone else’s farm can mean a breakdown in your service. Finally, the ad-hoc network is completely proprietary and you will be locked into a single vendor for your telemetry connection and data hosting.
Regarding cost, the primary cost of providing telemetry service is not the communication charges. Most of the cost comes from running and maintaining a highly reliable, secure data storage system and web service staffed by people who understand resource consents and can provide good customer service. On an annual basis, our service charge is competitive with ‘ad-hoc’ wireless and is expected to be more reliable because it is based on industry-standard equipment and telecommunication networks. You do not pay any cellphone charges yourself. You only pay Aqualinc an annual fee which covers your telemetry connection, 24/7 web access to your data, and automated compliance monitoring.