T-Mobile has decided to back Pano AI to detect wildfires using its 5G network. San Francisco-based Pano AI has built a wildfire detection device that uses cameras, satellite feeds and artificial intelligence to pinpoint where new wildfires are starting and alert firefighters and other first responders. T-Mobilepartnered with the climate tech startup last September to use its 5G network, which covers 1.9 million square miles in the US, to collect and analyze real-time data for faster wildfire detection and response. T-Mobile had been looking for creative ways to use the network; Pano AI was an obvious partner because of intensifying wildfire seasons in the US, T-Mobile’s John Saw told ImpactAlpha. “We know it’s going to get worse because of climate change,” he said. “We are doubling down on our commitment to bring this life-saving technology to more areas.”
What’s the news: T-Mobile, Pano AI and Portland General Electric are deploying 5G-connected cameras to enable AI-powered active wildfire detection that identifies the first sign of wildfires so emergency crews can respond before they grow out of control.
Why it matters:Early detection is key to stopping a wildfire before it spreads, but with traditional methods identifying and assessing a fire can take hours, delaying the response. With T-Mobile’s far-reaching, high capacity 5G network, Pano AI can collect and analyze vast amounts of data in near real time to detect, confirm and pinpoint new ignitions in the critical early minutes of a wildfire, enabling it to be contained before it endangers lives and property.
Who it’s for: Emergency managers, first responders and anyone potentially impacted by wildfires.
Wildfires can have devastating consequences, threatening lives and property. And they’re a growing problem, burning nearly twice as much forested land today as they did just 20 years ago. 5G can help change that. T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced today that it has teamed up with Pano AI – a disaster preparedness technology solutions provider – and Portland General Electric to deploy 5G-connected cameras that enable AI-powered active wildfire detection near Portland, Oregon to help identify the first sign of wildfires and ultimately stop them before they spread.
Pano AI – a participant of the 5G Open Innovation Lab, which T-Mobile cofounded – deploys ultra-high-definition cameras and its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to constantly scan for and identify wildfires in the very early stages. The massive bandwidth and far reach of T-Mobile’s 5G network allows Pano AI to gather extremely high-quality video in at-risk areas and send vast amounts of data to Pano AI’s command center in real time, maximizing the effectiveness of its AI platform and spotting potentially dangerous situations quickly and reliably.
“This is why we’ve been focused on building a 5G network for all – not just in densely-populated areas but across the country, into rural communities and remote environments as well,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “Pano AI has developed an innovative solution that is poised to save lives and limit the devastation often caused by wildfires, and it’s both humbling and rewarding that T-Mobile’s 5G network is uniquely positioned to help bring it to life.”
“Firefighters are looking for ways to detect, confirm and pinpoint a fire within minutes, and modern technology makes that very possible,” said Sonia Kastner, CEO of Pano AI. “Wildfire detection is especially important in rural and remote areas, and thanks to the long range of T-Mobile’s 5G network, we can bring Pano AI’s solution to some of the most vulnerable locations across the country.”
Last year, nearly 60,000 wildfires burned more than seven million acres of land in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. And data shows that these fires are getting worse over time, due to more severe winds and drier conditions. As the first company to offer a fully-managed solution for active wildfire detection using AI, Pano AI has made it their mission to combat wildfires by providing intelligence that leverages the latest technology, including 5G. Pano AI works with utilities, governments, fire authorities, forestry companies, and private land owners to deploy their solution. Portland General Electric is the first to utilize Pano AI on T-Mobile’s 5G network.
“We put the safety of our customers, employees and communities first and this type of innovation allows us to do that by monitoring and detecting wildfires faster and more reliably than other methods,” said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of Advanced Energy Delivery at Portland General Electric. “The stakes are high when it comes to detecting wildfires and we need access to breakthrough technologies and reliable connectivity, which both Pano AI and T-Mobile bring to the table.”
T-Mobile is the leader in 5G with the country’s largest and fastest 5G network. Covering more than 97% of Americans across 1.8 million square miles – most of which are in rural America – T-Mobile has the ideal 5G network with the breadth and capacity to meaningfully support Pano AI’s active wildfire detection service. T-Mobile’s 5G network is connecting Pano AI cameras in the Portland area today, and the companies plan to expand their collaboration to more areas across the country.
This entry was posted on Monday, July 17th, 2023 at 10:53 am and is filed under Sensors, Wildfire. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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ABOUT
Black Swans / Green Shoots examines the collision between urbanization and resource scarcity in a world affected by
climate change, identifying opportunities to build sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure through the use
of revolutionary capital, increased awareness, innovative technologies, and smart design to make a difference in the
face of global and local climate perils.
'Black Swans' are highly improbable events that come as a surprise, have major disruptive effects, and that are
often rationalized after the fact as if they had been predictable to begin with. In our rapidly warming world, such
events are occurring ever more frequently and include wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and drought.
'Green Shoots' is a term used to describe signs of economic recovery or positive data during a downturn. It
references a period of growth and recovery, when plants start to show signs of health and life, and, therefore, has
been employed as a metaphor for a recovering economy.
It is my hope that Black Swans / Green Shoots will help readers understand both climate-activated risk and
opportunity so that you may invest in, advise, or lead organizations in the context of increasing pressures of
global urbanization, resource scarcity, and perils relating to climate change. I believe that the tools of business
and finance can help individuals, businesses, and global society make informed choices about who and what to
protect, and I hope that this blog provides some insight into the policy and private sector tools used to assess
investments in resilient reinforcement, response, or recovery.
