KT uses IoT, monitor and analyse air quality in south Korea

Korean telecom operators KT has been using technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics to monitor and analyse air quality 24 hours a day, with the aim of contributing to government-led efforts to reduce fine dust levels, Korean press reported.

In September 2017, KT launched its “Air Map Korea” project, to collect air quality data by installing monitors at its nationwide infrastructure including 4.5 million telephone poles, 330,000 mobile base stations, 60,000 public phone booths, and 4,000 central offices in Korea. During the first phase of the project, KT installed air quality monitors at its 1,500 main telecom service stations in major cities, including Seoul.

The Korean telco operates the observation network through an integrated fine dust control center at the KT Intelligent Network Support (INS) unit in the city of Gwacheon. Through this monitoring center, the telco can check for errors or failures in the observation network. Once the control center detects the failure, technicians are sent immediately to the location.

KT’s observation desk collects a wide range of information such as fine dust levels, temperature, noise levels and humidity. Once collected, this information is transmitted to the company’s “Air Map Platform” every minute, and the control center manages such information in real time.