Satellite-Connected Virtual Fencing Opens Remote Ranch Management to U.S. Cattle Operators
Starlink-Linked Smart Collars Eliminate Need for Ground Infrastructure, Expanding Market Reach 2.5 Times
Smart cattle collars capable of communicating directly via satellite — with no cell towers or on-ranch infrastructure required — are now commercially available to beef ranchers in the United States and New Zealand, in what the manufacturer Halter says is a world-first advance in virtual fencing technology.
“Direct-to-satellite allows ranchers to manage hundreds of thousands of acres in the most remote terrain on the planet.”
Craig Piggott, Halter
Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with U.S. operations in Colorado, Halter has integrated Starlink connectivity into its solar-powered, GPS-enabled smart collars, enabling ranchers to manage cattle anywhere they have a clear view of the sky. Previously, the collars depended on Halter’s proprietary long-range radio towers physically installed on each ranch.
“Connectivity has been the final barrier to bringing virtual fencing across remote and expansive ranches,” said Craig Piggott, CEO and founder of Halter. “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.”
The company’s internal modeling estimates that satellite connectivity expands its addressable U.S. beef cattle market by 2.5 times, reaching operations in remote and rugged regions that cellular networks cannot serve.
Ranchers across the American West face persistent operational pressures — rising fuel costs, labor shortages, and an aging workforce — that make remote herd management increasingly difficult. Virtual fencing, which uses collar-delivered audio and vibration cues to guide cattle movement, reduces dependence on physical labor and infrastructure. Satellite connectivity takes that capability one step further, extending it to terrain that has until now been unreachable by connected livestock technology.
High Lonesome Ranch in western Colorado — 225,000 acres of complex, remote terrain — was among the first operations to deploy the satellite-enabled system.
“Halter has changed the game completely,” said Lloyd Calvert, livestock and agriculture manager at High Lonesome Ranch. “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 anytime of day, no matter where I am. It gives me a great deal of assurance and that’s irreplaceable.”
Alongside the direct-to-satellite launch, Halter is releasing what it describes as its largest-ever product upgrade for beef ranchers. The new feature set spans reproduction management, animal behavior analysis, and precision pasture tools, and includes:
An all-in-one heat detection tool to identify cycling animals before and through the breeding season
Behavioral monitoring providing near real-time insight into grazing, rumination, and other indicators of cattle performance and health
Satellite-based forage insight and advanced pasture management capabilities
Grazing plans and templates, with tools to calculate and track animal demand
Comprehensive grazing records for documentation and planning
The behavioral monitoring component gives ranchers continuous, data-driven visibility into herd health and productivity without requiring physical observation — a capability that carries particular value across sprawling acreages in isolated terrain.
Halter’s collars are solar-powered and GPS-enabled, each functioning as a single device combining virtual fencing, active herd guidance, and real-time animal monitoring. With direct-to-satellite connectivity, the system no longer requires any fixed ground infrastructure to operate, reducing the logistical and cost barriers for ranchers in remote regions to get connected.
The transition to satellite-based communication represents a structural change in how the product can scale. Where infrastructure deployment previously defined the limits of coverage, the new architecture relies on Starlink’s existing orbital network — meaning the geographic footprint of the system expands without additional installation on the ground.
Halter’s satellite-enabled virtual fencing is now available to beef operations in the United States and New Zealand. Availability in Australia and Canada is expected to follow. The company has sold more than 1 million collars worldwide and serves more than 2,000 customers across its operating markets.