SatIoT devices and connectivity to enable greater control of livestock remotely
31 January 2023
Astrocast, a global nanosatellite IoT network operator, and Digitanimal, a smart solutions developer in livestock tracking devices and solutions, have announced a strategic partnership to develop a Satellite IoT (SatIoT) solution.
Both companies are collaborating to commercialise an unrivalled tracking device that connects to Astrocast’s global satellite network. The SatIoT-based collar will enable farmers to track livestock remotely. This will allow them to adopt Agriculture 4.0 farming practices as they manage their herds.
“Within remote farming environments, there is often little or no terrestrial network connectivity. To solve this problem, some farms try and install antennas and base stations to deploy ground networks and access cloud technologies.
But it is challenging for many farmers to deploy a reliable and financially viable infrastructure, especially if they do not have a high volume of animals to monitor,” says Carlos Callejero, CEO of Digitanimal.
“Our goal is to change this situation for these remote farmers, as we incorporate Astrocast’s low-power, cost-effective SatIoT into our livestock tracking solutions. This technology – and the access to data that it provides – will enable farmers to accurately establish the location of their herds anytime and anywhere, allowing them to better manage livestock.
“For example, they can track movement patterns and create geo-fences to detect when livestock has drifted into areas they should not be.”
Farmers needing this kind of satellite connectivity solution can be found globally. New Zealand, Australia, Kenya and South Africa are obvious markets for this tracking technology. Other countries in Africa and Asia also have large, extensive herds in vast regions with no reliable cellular network access.
In Europe, it is estimated that there are 87 million cows and 50 percent of these animals are located in areas without terrestrial/network coverage.
Fabien Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder of Astrocast, says, “There is a digital divide in many rural and farming areas across the world. This divide is largely caused by a lack of network connectivity, which prevents many farmers from adopting smart farming practices.
“While the art and science of farming have been established for centuries, the innovative use of IoT and sensor technology enables farmers across all scenarios to digitise their farming practices, to become more efficient, to save costs and to reduce their carbon footprint.
“By partnering with Digitanimal, we look forward to facilitating access to new technologies and practices for livestock farmers globally.”
Through this partnership, it will be possible for any farmer across the world in 2023, to connect their animals to the cloud and track them. The service will be cost-effective and affordable to farmers, as it has been developed with the latest satellite technology.