IoT technologies and their capabilities are enabling a huge range of applications to help NGOs and not-for-profit agencies deliver new services.
Helping disaster relief and supporting innovative services - NGO IoT User Cases was written by our IoT experts and highlights all the different sectors that are already benefiting from IoT networks including education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, disaster relief.
IoT, Telecom26 and Digital Education
One project that the team of IoT experts at Telecom26 are particularly proud of is our involvement with the first trial of a new digital learning programme for young adults in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya which is run by the UNHCR, and home to around 200,000 people.
Many of the young adults living in the camp have had their education disrupted which, of course, impacts upon their economic future and life chances.
The Beekee Hub is a semi-nomadic device which creates a wireless network so that students can access content inside the Hub from the browser of their own smart feature phones, smartphones, laptops and tablets.
The Beekee Hub differentiator is that content is always accessible within the device; and it is easy for children, teachers and adults to access.
Telecom26 donated Global IoT SIM cards for use by the Beekee Boxes; when new educational material is ready, the Beekee team transmit it direct to the hub via our networks.
IoT, Telecom26 and Agriculture in emerging markets
Enhancing crop yield and protecting against pests while growing revenue are key concerns for farmers. Advances in technology mean that remote monitoring can help farmers manage the use of fertilisers, irrigation and more – boosting productivity and increasing the supply of food, while reducing costs to secure better income and profit.
A growing range of sophisticated (and inexpensive) monitors, backed by cloud services are now available to help boost agricultural development by providing early alerts of environmental and biological threats. The information captured can be aggregated to drive efficiency and boost optimisation. Remote wireless connectivity to any local network is key to their success, enabling data transfer securely, efficiently – and in a timely manner.
IoT, Telecom26 and Water
Access to clean, reliable water supplies is, of course, a universal human right – but it’s not always easy to deliver. For many people, water is scarce, hard to reach, or unsafe to drink.
According to the GSM Association, an estimated 125 million people in Africa have mobile coverage yet lack access to safe drinking water.
There are many solutions to this problem, from the introduction of power-driven pumps that can extract water from safe reservoirs and cleanse contaminated supplies, to those that monitor water quality, availability and more. Connecting sensors that collect vital data regarding the health of this equipment or metrics from water requires robust, reliable data connectivity. Even if the volume of data generated is low, it must be delivered to protect human lives.
IoT, Telecom26 and The Environment
Environmental data is crucial for a variety of purposes. From early indicators of a catastrophic event to long-term monitoring to measure KPIs, the wealth of data it’s now possible to collect is helping NGOs and agencies develop plans and response to reduce or mitigate the impact of issues, as well as to create evidence-based programmes to support sustainability objectives. Temperature, humidity, ground tremors, wave activity, soil quality are all key indicators that need to be considered.
Remote sensors and monitors are essential for collecting the information agencies need to analyse data and to inform the decisions they make.
IoT, Telecom26 and eHealth
A subject dear to our heart. Check out the work we’ve been doing with SystemOne in Africa and Asia here: Telecom26 Chosen To Provide Connectivity To SystemOne’s New Digital Healthcare Programmes in Angola and Nigeria
IoT, Telecom26 and Tourism
Many developing nations are rich in natural assets and are seeking to try to encourage tourism. Some of these efforts are linked to programmes for conservation, boosting natural capital, while others are linked to the provision of better facilities. Eco-tourism, safaris and more offer significant economic benefits – but connectivity to support programmes is essential.
With many animals of interest crossing national boundaries, conservation efforts can be enhanced with tracking solutions. These must be capable of connecting to any network, because natural migration corridors cannot be disrupted or constrained. So, IoT devices, as well as local cellular wireless connectivity solutions for lodges and camps are integral to driving economic development.
IoT, Telecom26 and Energy
Bringing new sources of power to remote areas has several challenges, not least in terms of logistics. Often, these are situated in areas with patchy, inconsistent cellular coverage – but connectivity is essential for devices that monitor performance and protect remote assets.
In order to secure the best connectivity for these solutions, IoT devices need to be able to connect to multiple networks, with high levels of security, so that they can switch provider when better service is available from a different network. In border regions, that can often be from a provider in the neighbouring country, so the ability to roam cost-effectively and seamlessly is essential.
IoT, Telecom26 and Disaster Relief
Catastrophes and natural disasters can take many forms but, invariably, responses require coordinated, concentrated efforts. This means that, often, displaced people and the victims of different events are provided with support through temporary facilities and relief centres. Because such disasters can strike anywhere, emergency care facilities may need to be assembled quickly and rapidly provided with the capabilities they need to support populations through times of crisis.
As a result, infrastructure needs to be deployed to support a wide range of services that must be delivered – spanning communications, digital services, remote healthcare and more. This can be achieved via the creation of a full private local cellular network, or via combinations of routers with macro-network connectivity, depending on the required scale.
IoT, Telecom26 and NGOs
Unreliable bandwidth and patchy connectivity are problems encountered by welfare programmes operational across the world.
Telecom26’s global IoT SIM cards were developed with the specific goal of improving connectivity in remote areas. They enable devices to automatically access and switch between multiple networks both in-country and across borders thus removing the need to worry about the coverage of a single MNO, or the existence of roaming alliances. Benefits include:
- Flexible connectivity, in any country
- Seamless coverage across 1100 cellular networks from over 650 mobile operators in more than 200 countries - and ability to customise connectivity according to the budgets
- Full control and management of SIMs through a customised service portal
- eSIM options for future integration possibilities
- Remote diagnostics, intelligent access and asset management
- Automatic connection to different networks to ensure consistent access to remote services
For more information about how IoT is helping NGOs around the world to improve the lives of others then please read our white paper: Helping disaster relief and supporting innovative services - NGO IoT User Cases. It was written by our IoT experts and highlights all the different sectors that are already benefiting from IoT networks including education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, disaster relief.
If you’d like to discuss how our IoT communications services can support your project, wherever it is in the world, then please get in touch.
And, of course, we’ll be at the next global must-attend event of the year, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona 28 Feb - 3 March in Hall 7, Stand G10 if you’d like to meet up in-person, please contact us.
