Astrocast & Digitanimal Enhance Livestock Management

Lausanne, Switzerland and Madrid, Spain – Astrocast, a leading global nanosatellite IoT network operator, and Digitanimal, a leading smart solutions developer in livestock tracking devices and solutions, announce today the signature of a strategic partnership to develop a Satellite IoT (SatIoT) solution. Both companies are collaborating to commercialize an unrivaled 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 digitize their farming practices, become more efficient, save costs, and 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.  

Customers can register their interest to receive updates and notifications about the new Satellite IoT animal tracker available during autumn this year.   

About Astrocast 

Astrocast SA operates a leading global nanosatellite IoT network, offering services in industries such as Agriculture & Livestock, Maritime, Environment & Utilities to name a few. The Astrocast network enables companies to monitor, track, and communicate with remote assets from anywhere in the world. It relies on superior L-band spectrum through a strategic alliance with Thuraya. In partnership with Airbus, CEA/LETI and ESA, Astrocast developed Astronode S, an ultra-low power and miniaturised module compatible with inexpensive L-band patch antennas. Founded in 2014 by a renowned team of experts, Astrocast develops and tests all its products in-house, from the satellites to the modules. Astrocast is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo. 

For more information visit astrocast.com 

About Digitanimal 

Digitanimal SL is a Spanish SME founded in 2015 that develops smart solutions for livestock farming based on IoT devices, AI algorithms and apps. Currently, more than 10.000 farmers are monitoring their animals with Digitanimal in 80 countries. 

For more information visit digitanimal.co.uk 

Media Contact Astrocast 

Fatima Vigil 

[email protected] 

David Mieny / Kim Renton 

[email protected] 

+44 (0)1296 733867  

Media Contact Digitanimal 

Pedro Gómez 

[email protected] 

Excerpt: SatIoT devices and connectivity to enable greater control of livestock remotely