John Deere Partners With Elon Musk's Starlink To Unlock "Vast Opportunities"
Deere & Company, the world's largest tractor maker, announced Tuesday morning it "entered into an agreement" with Elon Musk's SpaceX company to provide high-speed satellite internet to farmers across the US and Brazil in the second half of this year.
"Utilizing the industry-leading Starlink network, this solution will allow farmers facing rural connectivity challenges to fully leverage precision agriculture technologies," Deere wrote in a press release.
This will allow "John Deere customers to be more productive, profitable, and sustainable in their operations as they continue to provide food, fuel, and fiber for their communities and a growing global population," the company continued.
Starlink is ideal for rural locations. Later this year, @JohnDeere will begin equipping new and existing machines across the United States and Brazil with Starlink to help connect farmers with high-speed internet so they can fully leverage precision agriculture technologies… pic.twitter.com/Jr36oTvGa4
— Starlink (@Starlink) January 15, 2024
"The value of connectivity to farmers is broader than any single task or action. Connectivity unlocks vast opportunities that were previously limited or unavailable," said Aaron Wetzel, Vice President of Production and Precision Ag Production Systems at John Deere.
According to all-things ag website Precision Farming Dealer, only 30% of the largest US farms have "high quality" internet.
While Starlink supplies rural America with high-speed internet, the Federal Communications Commission, weaponized by the Biden administration, recently rejected Musk's company from receiving $885.5 million in rural broadband subsidies.
SpaceX said it was "deeply disappointed and perplexed" by the FCC decision, adding Starlink "is demonstrably one of the best options - likely the best option" to achieve the goals of the rural internet program.
"Last year, after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, President Biden gave federal agencies the green light to go after him," FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote in an X post last month.
Last year, after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, President Biden gave federal agencies the green light to go after him.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) December 12, 2023
And they have.
Today, the FCC adds itself to the growing list of federal agencies engaging in the regulatory harassment of Elon Musk.
I dissent. pic.twitter.com/1zEoGCwiNk
We suspect many more partnerships are coming down the pipe as Starlink gears up for an IPO, with some reports indicating as early as the end of this year.
Musk is the 'uncancellable' billionaire, and the Biden administration hates this.