Vodafone describes Breathe London as using air quality sensors to extract “high resolution data,” which is then “compared and aligned with standard reference monitors.” The aim of this is to provide Londoners with “access to more robust high-resolution data that can drive action and change.”
Alongside Vodafone, the consortium consists of Global Action Plan, Airly, Ricardo, Scotswolds Ltd, Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants and the University of Cambridge. The next phase of the project will leverage 146 air quality sensor sites across London, while “engaging key communities and organisations such as schools, NHS trusts and local authorities.”
The company will provide its Global IoT network connectivity, something which “already spans the capital.” It will also work with local partners Ontix and SRL to identify additional sensor locations.
Discussing the project, mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted that Vodafone will deliver the next stage of my pioneering Breathe London programme by leading a consortium of partners and utilising their technical expertise and advanced connectivity.
“Reducing London’s air pollution is one of my top priorities. This advanced monitoring network will provide invaluable data to help organisations across the capital take action on air quality and protect public health."
VodafoneThree chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, Nicki Lyons, said: "With high-levels of air pollution in the capital, it is crucial we can give Londoners access to real-time, hyperlocal air quality data in their area and help them make better informed decisions about their health and well-being.
“At VodafoneThree, we are committed to putting the communities we serve and the environment they live in first and we will continue to explore what else might be possible in both London and other UK cities in the future."
The Breathe London pilot was initially rolled out in 2018.
