The American manufacturer of agricultural machinery and heavy equipment, John Deere, announced a strategic partnership with SpaceX. The goal is to provide farmers with a rural connectivity service using satellite communications and “fully leverage precision agriculture technologies”. Initially, the service will be available as a limited release in the US and Brazil in the second half of 2024.
This service will be enabled through the Starlink network, as this network now includes over 5,000 small satellites in low Earth orbit. Hence, this solution will enable features such as real-time data sharing, remote diagnostics, self-repair systems, and machine-to-machine communication.
In order to enable such satellite connectivity, John Deere dealers will have to install a Starlink terminal and a 4G LTE JDLink modem on compatible machines. Therefore, the machine will also be connected back to the John Deere Operations Center.
As said by Jahmy Hindman, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer at John Deere, “John Deere has led the agriculture equipment industry for more than two decades with satellite-based precision guidance technology,” adding that “Now, we are bringing satellite communications service to the farm at scale so farmers with cellular coverage challenges can maximize the value of connectivity to their operations. The SATCOM solution unlocks the John Deere tech stack so every farmer can fully utilize their current precision agriculture technology in addition to the new innovative solutions they will deploy in the future. We initiated this process with a fierce focus on delivering value to our customers, and this partnership ensures we have a solution that meets their needs today and in the future.”
Founded in 1837, the manufacturing company John Deere is headquartered in Moline, Illinois, US, and is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment, as well as providing financial services through John Deere Financial.
