As a stock and station agent for Elders Stud Stock, an important component of Jenni O’Sullivan’s role is ensuring the success of premium sheep and cattle auctions across north-eastern Victoria and southern NSW.
Reflecting a digital trend that is helping to improve the accessibility of livestock sales, Elders often makes use of the AuctionsPlus online auction service to stream video and audio of livestock auctions. Online auctions can significantly increase the competitiveness of the sale and have enabled Elders to host successful auctions during peak COVID periods when auction attendance numbers were impacted by border closures and other social restrictions.
Unfortunately, mobile blackspots are common on host properties, and this limits the extent to which Jenni can use online auction platforms at her customers’ properties. According to Jenni, online auctions are a win-win situation for everyone but only when she has sufficient coverage.
Jenni purchased a ZetiRover from Zetifi in August 2020 so she could offer the benefits of online live auctions to more of her clients. The ZetiRover is a portable Wi-Fi solution that provides the best possible coverage with high-gain antennas and multi-carrier technology which provides access to the Telstra and Optus networks. If there’s even a faint signal available, the ZetiRover will find it! It’s also built to withstand the dirt, dust and rain that come with life on the farm.
With the ZetiRover, Jenni can now confidently stream high-quality video and audio from stud sales and other on-farm auctions, regardless of where she is. She can also use the ZetiRover on her vehicle when travelling between auctions and meetings to reliably make and receive phone calls via Wi-Fi Calling.
“Elders has firm auction start times and with the ZetiRover I’m now able to interface with AuctionsPlus and use my phone when I need it most,” said Jenni. “If you haven’t got the confidence that you can make a call or easily get information, our whole day would just fall over. Having that uninterrupted connectivity makes a big difference to helping serve our customers and the productivity of the business.”