T-Mobile harnesses 5G with AI to detect early signs of wildfires

T-Mobile has partnered with Pano AI, and Portland General Electric to deploy 5G-connected cameras that can detect early signs of wildfires thanks to AI.

The operator has teamed up with Pano AI, a disaster preparation technology provider, and utility firm Portland General Electric to set up a number of 5G-connected cameras near Portland, Oregon.

Pano AI deploys ultra-high-definition cameras while using its AI platform to constantly scan for, and identify wildfires in the very early stages.

T-Mobile is currently using its 600MHz spectrum for the service, with its high bandwidth enabling Pano AI to gather extremely high-quality video in at-risk areas to send to its command center in real-time.

The operator claims that with the use of its 5G and Pano’s AI cameras, the spread of wildfires can be prevented. Portland General Electric is the first company to use Pano’s AI service on a 5G T-Mobile network.

“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 T-Mobile president of technology Neville Ray.

Last year there were over 60,000 wildfires in the US, with more than seven million acres of land burned across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Drier conditions and more severe winds are anticipated to make these fires even work in the future.

Earlier this month T-Mobile cleaned up at the recent 2.5GHz spectrum launch, spending $304 million on 7,156 county-based licenses out of a possible 8,017 on offer.

The operator claims to cover 97 percent of the US with its 5G network. Data Center Dynamics