Boldyn rolls out 5G RedCap for livestock monitoring

Boldyn is working with West Sussex County Council and Pneumonitor to deploy 5G RedCap for livestock monitoring on a private 5G network in West Sussex as part of the Growing Sussex programme.

The deployment connects Pneumonitor's in-pen environmental sensor to Boldyn's network, giving farmers near-real-time information on conditions inside livestock buildings. The goal is to help them spot and respond more quickly to environmental changes that can increase the risk of respiratory disease and animal stress.

The technology is designed to measure conditions where animals are kept rather than relying on sensors mounted on walls. That distinction matters in enclosed livestock buildings, where temperature and air quality can vary within pens and change quickly during hot weather.

The move comes as farms face growing pressure from repeated heatwaves and more extreme weather across parts of the UK and Europe. Closer monitoring could help farmers act earlier to protect animal welfare and limit the impact on output.

Farm rollout

RedCap, or Reduced Capability 5G, is designed for connected devices that do not need the full specification of standard 5G. Here, it is being used to link sensors in livestock buildings while reducing power use, battery requirements and maintenance demands.

That could make the system easier to scale across farm sites, particularly where regular access to equipment is limited or where operators want to avoid frequent battery changes. The setup is intended to support practical monitoring across farms rather than a single isolated trial.

Growing Sussex was set up by West Sussex County Council to develop and demonstrate uses of 5G, the internet of things and artificial intelligence across food, drink and agricultural production. The programme brings together local government, education providers, technology groups, growers and livestock producers.

Boldyn and the council previously announced plans for four private 5G networks, and all four Growing Sussex partner sites were live by the end of 2025. Adding Pneumonitor extends the programme into environmental monitoring inside livestock buildings.

Local pressures

Agriculture remains an important part of the West Sussex economy, and the council is using the programme to test whether digital tools can address practical operational problems on farms. Heat stress in livestock buildings is one of the clearest examples, as high temperatures can affect animal health before problems are obvious to staff.

Cllr Yvonne Gravely said: "Agriculture plays a vital role in West Sussex, but periods of extreme weather are creating new challenges for the sector. Through Growing Sussex, we're helping growers and food producers use technology to better understand changing conditions, protect animal welfare and build resilience for the future. That's good for local businesses, good for our rural economy and good for West Sussex."

For Boldyn, the project also serves as an example of how private wireless infrastructure can be used beyond more established settings such as transport hubs, industrial estates and campuses. The company is positioning farm connectivity as part of a broader market for specialist local networks that support connected devices in environments where public mobile coverage may not be enough for a specific task.

Gearoid Collins, Commercial Director, Real Estate, Enterprise & Wind Farms at Boldyn Networks, said: "As the connectivity partner for Growing Sussex, we're committed to helping shape a new era for agriculture and deploy technologies that bring a welcome boost to the West Sussex economy. Connecting Pneumonitor through RedCap shows how private 5G can support practical agritech and provide the digital foundation for many more connected applications across the farming sector."

Sensor detail

Pneumonitor said its device sits inside the pen, allowing it to record the conditions animals are actually experiencing. The company argues that this gives a more accurate picture than readings taken from the edge of a building.

Isaac Orr, Chief Executive Officer at Pneumonitor, said: "With heatwaves becoming more frequent, conditions inside livestock buildings can deteriorate faster than they can be spotted by eye. Pneumonitor measures conditions in the pen itself, where the animals are, rather than at the wall where sensors are usually mounted. This project showed when heat load was building and what could be done before yields were affected. The connectivity behind the deployment now allows us to bring this monitoring to far more sites than before. We thank Boldyn Networks and the Growing Sussex programme for their partnership."