John Deere SpaceX Deal, Set to Make Farming Tech Communicate Via Satellites

Farming automation is set to adopt SpaceX satellite communications (SATCOM) services as John Deere announces the newest partnership with the American spacecraft manufacturer for better rural connectivity in U.S. states and Brazil, as Interesting Engineering reports.

The official announcement states that John Deere customers can use SpaceX's Starlink system to leverage better production speeds sustainable, profitable, and accessible operations across different rural areas.

John Deere's SATCOM solution is set to link both new and old farming technologies, making it possible for farmers to fully utilize these different devices to help them operate more productively while limiting downtime, such as autonomy, real-time data sharing, remote diagnostics, increased self-repair solutions, and most especially machine-to-machine communication of seed planters, crop sprayers, and tractors.

This partnership comes as farmers frequently have to do jobs in exceedingly limited windows of time, reportedly according to Aaron Wetzel, vice president of production and precision ag production systems at John Deere. This situation calls for extremely accurate production processes while coordinating across machines and controlling machine performance.

To use the newest SATCOM solution, John Deere dealers will reportedly have to install a 4G LTE JDLink modem to connect the machine to the John Deere Operations Center and a ruggedized Starlink interface on machines that meet the requirements to activate this solution. Beginning in the second half of 2024, a restricted release of the SATCOM solution will be accessible in the U.S. and Brazil.

Starlink's Growing Influence

John Deere reportedly tested out other satellites for almost eight months before choosing Starlink, with the speed at which Starlink's low-orbiting satellites send messages being a main factor in the company's decision, as per Deere's chief technology officer, Jahmy Hindman.

This partnership also reportedly demonstrates the increasing clout of Starlink, a branch of Elon Musk's SpaceX that delivers high-speed internet using satellites launched by the business. Starlink relies on the largest satellite fleet in the world- nearly 5,300 operational satellites- to connect populations affected by natural disasters and the conflict in Ukraine.

Wireless Farming Tech

This partnership also comes at a critical time, as Yahoo reports that national priorities now include rural connectivity. According to a U.S. Department of Agricultural report titled "A Case for Rural Broadband," released in April 2019, the adoption of next-generation precision agricultural equipment in rural farming areas was delayed by a lack of connectivity, which resulted in some wasted opportunities for the American economy.

According to USDA estimates, linked technology might increase output and provide a gross domestic benefit of up to $65 billion annually for the United States.

This does prove to be the case for John Deere, as the Wall Street Journal adds that the world's largest farm machinery manufacturer has been spending billions of dollars on computer-assisted services for farmers, such as software that enables autonomous tractors to plow fields and herbicide sprayers to identify crops from weeds.