**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WIRELESS BROADBAND AND NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES HAVE PROGRESSED TREMENDOUSLY IN PAST YEARS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THESE ADVANCEMENTS ARE FOCUSED ON DENSELY POPULATED URBAN AREAS. RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE LARGELY OVERLOOKED, CAUSING A DISPARITY KNOWN AS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. SUCH A DIGITAL DIVIDE LEADS TO LONG-TERM IMPACTSTHAT INCLUDE THE UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. A PRIMARY CHALLENGE FOR FARMERS IS THE INHERENT LACK OF TERRESTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURECOVERING EXTENSIVE GRAZING SYSTEMS.THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN A HYBRID BROADBAND COMMUNICATION SCHEME AND PROTOTYPE TO ACHIEVE INTELLIGENT ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION FOR LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.SPECIFICALLY, A HYBRID COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED AND PROTOTYPED THAT DYNAMICALLY SWITCHES BETWEEN TERRESTRIAL MILLIMETER-WAVE AND SATELLITE SYSTEMS BASED ON LINK REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. EXTENSIVE IMAGE DATA WILL BE AGGREGATED WITH VARIOUS CATTLE PATTERNS FROM EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND FED TO THE PROPOSED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR RELIABLE TRANSMISSION. NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION ALGORITHMS WILL THEN BE DESIGNED BASED ON THE IMAGE DATA TO FACILITATE TIMELY AND ACCURATE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. THESE ALGORITHMS WILL ENABLE AUTOMATIC BEEF CATTLE IDENTIFICATION WITHINTERACTIVE INTEGRATION OF PRODUCER FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVED ACCURACY. THE SOLUTIONS ARE EXPECTED TOTRANSFORM CONVENTIONAL EXPERIENCE-BASED AND LABOR-INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT PRACTICE INTO AN AUTOMATIC AND DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH WITH CONNECTIVITY CHARACTERIZED BY BROAD COVERAGE AND LOW COST.