Partnership with One NZ enables direct-to-satellite smart collars without cell towers, enabling beef farmers to manage cattle anywhere they can see the sky
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Halter today announced the launch of direct-to-satellite technology for its smart collars for beef cattle, through a world-first solution in partnership with One NZ Satellite powered by Starlink.
The technology makes Halter the first company in the world to offer virtual fencing via satellite - an unlock for beef farms previously out of reach due to connectivity limitations, particularly for regions like Central Otago, Gisborne, and Southland’s high country.
Internal modelling estimates direct-to-satellite capability will expand access to Halter for New Zealand beef farms by at least 20 per cent. Direct-to-satellite also positions Halter for expansion into more remote markets globally, such as South America and parts of Africa.
Halter also announced a suite of new tools for reproduction, animal behaviour, and precision pasture management, significantly expanding what is possible for cattle management.
Until now, the solar-powered, GPS-enabled collar system depended on Halter’s proprietary LoRa (long-range) radio towers on farms. With the One NZ Satellite connection, the collars can communicate directly with Starlink, eliminating the need for on-farm infrastructure entirely.
In New Zealand, Halter will become the largest provider of non-mobile devices connected to satellite, with hundreds of thousands of the new collar version to go live upon launch, globally.
“Connectivity for virtual fencing was the blocker for the most remote or large operations and direct-to-satellite solves this,” said Craig Piggott, CEO and founder of Halter. “With One NZ and Starlink, we’ve removed that barrier. Farmers managing animals on remote, rugged terrain can now access the same tools as operations with full cellular coverage. Combined with our new suite of product features, these farms can be even more productive.”
Jason Paris, CEO, One NZ said: “Halter is an example of Kiwi innovation at its absolute best, and we’re stoked to be backing their expansion of rural connectivity with One NZ Satellite for their smart collars. It’s not every day you’re helping cows connect to satellites in space, so that New Zealand farmers can access world-leading technology that improves stock management. That’s exactly the kind of outside-of-the-box thinking we love to see, and love to get in behind.”
Bevan McKnight, lessee of Northburn Station in the Dunstan Mountains, Central Otago, runs 200 Angus cattle and 11,000 Merino sheep on 13,000 hectares, and says direct-to-satellite will unlock unconstrained grazing.
“Virtually fencing our extensive station using Halter will be a game-changer for land utilisation. For the first time, we’ll be able to graze large blocks of land that have never been touched by our cattle, because we had no way of managing them there.
“To do that before this satellite solution would have required 25 towers, so this new practical option makes Halter a no-brainer for us.”
Alongside the launch, Halter has rolled out its largest-ever product upgrade for beef farmers. The update includes an all-in-one heat detection tool to identify non-cycling animals before breeding, a new behaviour tool providing near real-time insight into how feed allocation and pasture quality are influencing cattle performance, and advanced grazing features including high-resolution pasture mapping, pasture metrics, zone and block management, and a feed demand calculator. See accompanying fact sheet for more.
Halter direct-to-satellite is available immediately to beef operations in New Zealand, the United States, and coming soon in Australia. Interested farmers can learn more at halterhq.com/beef.
Watch Halter’s Direct-to-Satellite explainer video.
About Halter
Halter serves more than 2,000 farmers and ranchers across New Zealand, Australia and the United States, and has now sold one million of its solar-powered, GPS-enabled collars. The company is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with Australian operations based in Melbourne and a U.S. office in Colorado. To learn more, visit www.halterhq.com.
Media Contacts
Ashleigh Gilchrist
ashleigh.gilchrist@halter.co.nz
+64 21 236 8324
Emily van Velthooven
+64 27 808 7871
%20(1).png)
