GPS collars for dogs or pets in general are sometimes sold with subscriptions and sometimes without. What is the difference? What are the differences? What choice should you make?

Collars with subscriptions

GPS collars with a subscription use a SIM card just like your mobile phone. The GPS unit connects to the 2G/3G/4G data network via the SIM card it contains. To be able to connect to the network, you need a subscription, just like your phone needs a subscription. That's why you need a subscription.

Connected devices such as GPS collars use specific subscriptions, known as M2M, created for this type of use. These subscriptions operate in several countries (Europe, Africa, the world... depending on the subscription) and are multi-operator. It is not uncommon for all the operators in a country to be supported. In France, you will find Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues.

Being able to connect to multiple operators allows your GPS collar to work when travelling abroad, but also in areas covered by a single operator.

Once connected to the mobile data network, your GPS collar can send data to your phone regardless of distance, so you can get your dog's position even if he's a long way away.

At CaniGPS, we work with the operator Emnify.

What about subscription-free GPS collars?

There are three types of subscription-free offer.

GPS collars based on the use of the mobile network with a SIM card requiring a subscription to connect, but they can be sold without a SIM card, in which case you don't have to take out a subscription with the collar retailer.

This is what we do at CaniGPS when we sell a GPS collar without a subscription: we do not provide a SIM card. In this case, it is your responsibility to install a SIM card in the GPS unit so that you can use it. You can then choose the subscription you want with the operator you prefer. For example, Free offers a €1 subscription, which many of our customers use.

The second option is to use a completely different technology: one not based on the mobile network. These GPS collars require the use of a special remote control (not a phone) because the GPS collar and the remote control communicate via radio signals. This old method has a number of drawbacks: the GPS collar is much heavier and bulkier, the collar can only communicate with the remote control over a distance of a few hundred metres, and you have to carry the remote control with you as well as your phone. On the other hand, it has the advantage of working even in white areas: without a mobile network.

Finally, there are Apple's AirTags, which are small Bluetooth devices that connect to nearby iPhones to obtain their position (in reality, that of the phone) and send it to the Internet via the phone. This system only works if an iPhone is within a few metres of the dog, making it ineffective in the event of a runaway.