Nokia, Area X.O bring 5G, drones to mission-critical scenarios in Canadian tour

[caption id="attachment_1003742903" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Nokia Digital Automation Cloud Credit: Nokia[/caption] Nokia has announced that, as part of its continued partnership with Area X.O (formerly known as the Ottawa L5 and led by Invest Ottawa), it will deploy 4.9G/LTE and 5G private wireless solutions and Nokia Drone Networks via the Area X.O 5G Mobile Command Centre. The van will tour Canada to demonstrate to emergency responders and industry verticals how they can use private wireless for increased situational awareness to aid in unsafe conditions and help prevent disasters. Using high-performance, reliable, low-latency private wireless connectivity between the van and Nokia drones, emergency responders can understand what’s happening in critical situations in real time. The securely connected drones can be equipped with HD and thermal cameras, and rapidly deployed to specific locations providing aerial insight from live video streams, as well as sensors and data, without putting responders in harm’s way. The thermal technology can be used to detect people, steam, gas and smoke, as well as leakages and heat variation. This makes it an effective tool for prevention, incident monitoring and support, and inspection across multiple use cases. Complementing the drones, the van will also showcase how the use of 5G standalone private wireless “deployables” can help first responders be more efficient and easily gain situational awareness with a range of environment sensors. Nokia's Integrated Operations Center (IOC) offers a unified real-time view into all assets, bringing efficiency with analytics integration, while facilitating a rapid response based on automated workflows across multiple applications. Area X.O and Nokia will send the van on a road trip to visit 10 sites in Canada, where they will showcase live 5G demonstrations for public safety, mining, rural broadband, and hydroelectric applications. For instance, at a remote mine, the Nokia Drone Networks solution can be used to conduct perimeter patrols or to detect gas leaks or thermal fluctuations in pipes. At a hydro-electric plant, rather than using helicopters, drones can be sent in to survey hydro lines to keep employees away from high voltage power lines. In rural regions, fixed networks can be deployed to the most economical point, and 5G can be deployed to provide last-mile connectivity, bringing the benefits of high-speed broadband to everyone. “As a leader in 5G and with a long-established presence in Canada, Nokia is the ideal partner as we take 5G on the road. We hope to inspire the first responders, industry verticals, and businesses of all sizes to discover what 5G can do to keep them safe and thrive,” Michael Tremblay, president and CEO of Area X.O, Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards said in a release. “The combination of our unmatched expertise in private wireless deployments and the Nokia Drone Networks will bring 5G to life for people and organizations across the country,” added Shawn Sparling, VP of enterprise and public sector for Nokia Canada. Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With a commitment to innovation, and driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, the company is a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks. Area X.O combines its diverse expertise with Ottawa’s telecom and cybersecurity strengths as a tech hub to help local, national and global startups, SMEs, multinationals and governments address grand challenges and opportunities. For more information, visit www.Nokia.com or www.InvestOttawa.ca.