Startup Fi launches Fi Ultra dog collar with Starlink satellite connectivity

Fi, a startup that makes smart dog collars, has released a new model called the Fi Ultra. It uses SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell satellites, so the device keeps a dog connected even where a regular cellular network has no signal.

How satellite tracking works

The Fi Ultra collar connects directly to Starlink satellites using direct-to-cell technology, bypassing conventional cell towers. If a dog runs far from home or wanders through a forest, the mountains, or any other area without coverage, the owner can still track it in the app instead of seeing the familiar "signal lost" message.

• Manufacturer: smart collar startup Fi
• The new model is called Fi Ultra
• It uses SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell technology
• The device works where regular cellular networks are unavailable

Why satellite connectivity landed in a collar

TNW put it precisely: the next device to move to satellite connectivity wasn't a smartphone but a dog collar. That shows how quickly direct-to-cell technology, originally designed to connect ordinary phones straight to satellites without towers, is spreading into niche device categories where constant coverage is critical. Dogs tend to run off exactly where cellular coverage is weakest — into forests, mountains, and empty lots — which makes a product like this a logical answer to a real problem for owners.

What this means for the tracker market

The Fi Ultra shows how Starlink direct-to-cell is becoming infrastructure not just for smartphones but for mass-market consumer devices. Pet trackers now get the same level of coverage that used to be available only on expensive specialized satellite phones and communicators, not on everyday consumer gadgets.

Why it beats older GPS collars

Conventional smart dog collars rely on GPS to determine location and on a cellular network or Wi-Fi to send that data to the owner. The catch is that GPS can pinpoint a pet's coordinates, but if there's no cell tower nearby, the collar physically cannot send those coordinates to the owner's phone — the connection drops exactly where a lost dog needs it most. A direct connection to Starlink satellites via direct-to-cell removes that bottleneck: the device no longer needs a nearby tower to transmit its signal.

Context: satellite connectivity without towers

SpaceX originally developed its direct-to-cell technology so ordinary smartphones could send messages through Starlink satellites where there's no terrestrial coverage — in remote areas, for example, or during natural disasters when cell towers go down. Its arrival in a consumer device like a dog collar shows that direct-to-cell is moving beyond emergency communications and becoming a standard option for mass-market gadgets that need constant coverage while keeping size and power consumption to a minimum.

For dog owners who walk their pets far from town — in forests, in the mountains, or at campsites — this removes the main source of anxiety. Previously, losing cellular signal effectively meant losing contact with the tracker on the pet's collar too, and the Fi Ultra solves exactly that specific problem with a satellite link.

What it means

The Fi Ultra is a small but telling example of how next-generation satellite connectivity is quickly spreading beyond smartphones: while major carriers are still discussing direct-to-cell for phones, less visible device categories like pet collars are already putting the technology to practical use.