FOR many cattle producers, connectivity has been the missing link for broad adoption of digital tools in extensive grazing systems – but a new agtech project has demonstrated reliable and affordable two‑way satellite connectivity for livestock and on‑farm Internet of Things (IoT) sensors across Australia.

Trials conducted in June 2025 at Pinjarra Hills in Queensland and Rockhampton in Central Queensland confirmed the technology’s ability to deliver high message success rates using low power and low bandwidth while maintaining two‑way connectivity increasing efficiency and reliability.

The Meat & Livestock Australia Donor Company backed project was led by eSAT Global, with Smart Paddock providing on‑farm visualisation and Viasat delivering satellite connectivity.

The results demonstrated strong potential for cost‑effective whole‑of‑herd tagging and remote monitoring of assets such as water troughs and soil moisture probes, supporting pricing targets that make per‑animal connectivity practical for producers.

Michael Lee

MLA group manager for science and innovation, Michael Lee, said for many, connectivity has been the missing link for broad adoption of digital tools in extensive grazing systems.

“With this project, the team have shown the potential for producers to achieve reliable, two‑way satellite data at a cost that stacks up, supporting better grazing decisions, earlier health interventions and stronger traceability.”

SAT Global chief executive Rick Somerton said the project validated the company’s purpose‑built geo-stationary satellite technology, designed for tiny data packets, ultra‑low power use and rapid message delivery.

“Our GEO satellite approach is purpose‑built for tiny messages, ultra‑low power and seconds‑level latency,” Mr Somerton said.

“In Australian field trials we validated the robustness needed for smart tags and sensors, and we’re targeting cost points that enable connectivity at whole‑herd scale. We’re grateful to Smart Paddock for tag integration and to Viasat for pivotal satellite support.”

Viasat Enterprise vice president Andy Kessler said satellite systems played a critical role in regions where terrestrial networks cannot reach.

“Agriculture needs dependable and resilient coverage where terrestrial networks can’t reach,” Mr Kessler said.

“By supporting these demonstrations in Australia, we’ve helped show how scalable, affordable satellite IoT can create value by lifting productivity. We’re keen to continue to explore ways to support industry to monitor animal location and well-being across the supply chain.”

New comms module

The project delivered a new eSAT communications module suitable for compact, low‑power smart livestock ear tags and rugged on‑farm sensors.

It also provided full integration from tags and sensors through the satellite network to cloud‑based dashboards, enabling two‑way messaging for device configuration, acknowledgements and control functions.

Field trials showed message success rates above 99 percent when automatic re-transmission was enabled using two-way communication and Smart Paddock visualisation tools captured cattle movements and behaviour during the trial period.

Multiple benefits

The technology is expected to deliver substantial benefits across the extensive and more remote livestock sector. Regular whole‑of‑herd location data will support grazing and pasture utilisation improvements, while behavioural and activity information can enable earlier detection of health issues and support breeding management.

Continuous identification and movement data strengthen biosecurity and traceability efforts. Remote monitoring of water points and infrastructure reduces manual checking on large properties, and early alerts from unusual movement patterns provide a valuable tool for preventing stock theft.

With core research and development complete, eSAT is progressing commercial partnerships with tag and sensor manufacturers and prioritising smart livestock tags along with common on‑farm devices such as water, weather, gate and pump sensors.

A Producer Program is being developed to scale deployments, integrate additional data sources and demonstrate measurable productivity gains for industry.

For more information, click here to read the full report.

Source: MLA