Halter, a company known for its innovative smart cattle collars, has just announced an exciting development in their technology. They are now offering Starlink’s direct-to-satellite connectivity for their smart cattle collars, eliminating the need for on-ranch infrastructure or cell towers. This breakthrough allows ranchers to manage their herds from any location with a clear view of the sky.
This new technology greatly expands the reach of virtual fencing, a game-changer for the industry. According to internal modeling from Halter, the satellite capability increases its potential coverage of the U.S. beef cattle market by 2.5 times. Previously, the solar-powered collars required proprietary radio towers to communicate, but now the devices can connect directly to the cloud.
Craig Piggott, CEO and founder of Halter, expressed his excitement about this new development, stating, “Connectivity has been the final barrier to bringing virtual fencing across remote and expansive ranches. Direct-to-satellite allows ranchers to manage hundreds of thousands of acres in the most remote terrain on the planet. Combined with our new suite of product features, these ranchers can be even more productive.”
In addition to the launch of the satellite connectivity, Halter has also introduced a major software upgrade with new features such as heat detection tools for breeding, behavior monitoring for grazing and rumination, and satellite-based forage insights to track animal demand. These features are designed to help operations manage labor shortages and rising fuel costs by reducing the need for physical oversight.
One rancher, Lloyd Calvert from High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado, has been using the system across 225,000 acres and is thrilled with the results. “Halter has changed the game completely,” Calvert shared. “Satellite unlocks the ability to run very remote country while still seeing what the cattle are doing, without needing someone with them all the time. We call ourselves Halter junkies now because we can check to see where the cows are any time of day, no matter where I am. It gives me a great deal of assurance and that’s irreplaceable.”
The satellite-enabled collars are currently available for beef operations in the United States and New Zealand, with plans to expand into Canada and Australia in the near future. This new technology is revolutionizing the way ranchers manage their herds, providing them with unprecedented levels of control and efficiency in their operations.