Data transmission over the air from a huge number of points?

Question

Computer networks

Good morning to everyone
who knows what technologies for transmitting data over the air with their further receipt in a single place? For example in a server room.
Range is maximum.
Food - perhaps autonomous, with long work. Or from the network.
Small dimensions.
Any ideas needed!
The first thing that comes to mind is a phone with mobile Internet, but this is expensive and the connection is not very efficient.
Of the pluses - the range of work (wherever there is a network).
Autonomy, you can connect the battery.
City wifi networks.
Not common, but do not require SIM cards. Applicability is questionable.
UP: 1mb in 10 minutes.

Answer 1

In Italy, for a similar project, participants were given mobile phones with the necessary software. Data was collected around the clock, accumulated on phones, transmitted to the server only when WiFi was available. But there were only about a few hundred participants.
Wow, this question is over a year old. How did you end up solving the problem? Completed a project?