Finnish operator Elisa said that it has deployed 5G equipment in conjunction with Anicare to track the movements of reindeer in Finland and to monitor their health. Elisa provides Anicare with NB-IoT subscriptions for HealTag to use the system. Anicare has tested prototypes in field trials and HealTag will become available to reindeer herders in 2019.

Anicare’s HealTag is attached to the deer’s ear and enables herders to monitor animals live on their mobile devices, such as to locate an injured or sick one in the wild. It does not bother the reindeer thanks to the small size, said Elisa.

Different kinds of tracking devices have already been used with reindeer, but there have been problems with their size and battery life, among other things. The battery of HealTag weighs approximately 30 grams and lasts around two years. If the health or activity of a reindeer changes, the user will receive an instant notification.