California’s Farmlands Go High-Tech: Microsoft & Emergent Launch Game-Changing Rural IoT Network

In a bold move to modernize one of the world’s most productive farming regions, Microsoft and Emergent Connext have teamed up to deploy a cutting-edge rural IoT network across California’s Central Valley. Powered by Emergent in collaboration with Cal.net, a rural internet service provider, Microsoft is helping accelerate the scaling Emergent’s long-range, low-power network that will bring connectivity to areas previously left behind by broadband infrastructure. The new network enables plug-and-play IoT devices—like soil moisture sensors, weather stations, and irrigation monitors—to feed real-time data into farm management systems, giving growers a powerful edge in improving yields, reducing input costs, and conserving resources. With farmer training programs rolling out in summer 2025, this partnership is more than technology—it’s a catalyst for economic resilience, sustainability, and the future of agriculture.

Contributing Writer for IoT World Today, Scarlett Evans, covers the story here.