On May 12, 1865 in Tampere, Finland the company Nokia was first founded.  In the 154 years that it has been operational, Nokia has operated a number of different industries.  In the beginning Nokia was a pulp mill that eventually expanded into electrical producers.  From the mid 60s to the early 90s the corporation was focused on forestry, cable, rubber, and electronics.  In the 90s the company began to focus their resources into the growing telecommunications field and have remained one of the world’s leading telecommunication, information technology, and consumer electronics providers.

When the cellular phone industry first got started, Nokia cell phones were some of the best selling devices on the market.  However, with the introduction of smart phones their sales quickly dropped.  Competing with iPhones and Androids became near impossible.  Yet still the company has remained strong employing close to 100,000 people in 100 countries with business contracts in 130 countries and a reported $25billion annual revenue.  So how is it they are staying afloat in the telecommunications market?  As stated on their website, “We develop and deliver the industry’s only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally…we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies.”So while Nokia was perhaps best known for their early cell phones they are continuing to make their mark in the industry through providing connectivity to customers using wireless options.

Recently they have branched out into the field of drone technology with the use of their Digital Automation Cloud platform.  A statement on their website explains, “Nokia Drone Networks, powered by the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud, is an end-to-end solution comprising Nokia drones, private and secure mobile broadband, cloud connectivity, and a control center. The solution enables a fleet of drones to fly on automated individual missions steered from the command and control center, collecting data and information to meet business needs related to security and transport for example, and to facilitate operations in mission critical situations, like in public safety.”

This past fall Nokia began testing their drone system in Sendai City, Japan to see how it could be of use in disaster situations like tsunamis.  After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japan’s costal areas were devastated by the earthquake’s resulting tsunamis.  Since then the world at large has been trying to find ways of creating disaster risk reduction protocols.  The tests run by Nokia are a first of it’s kind to find a way to help mitigate the impact of tsunamis on the people living in coastal zones.

For the test, Nokia established a private LTE network using their digital automation cloud technology and prepared a fleet of drones with speakers and both HD and thermal cameras on them.  Next the city initiated a disaster simulation and set the drones to fly.  Once the simulation began the drones were able to warn evacuees of the coming tsunami through it’s speakers and help guide the evacuees to designated safe zones.  The drone’s cameras were able to monitor the safe relocation of people as well as the progression of the mock tsunami.  The drones also provided assistance to emergency personnel by providing them with critical information that would allow them to preform their jobs with minimal personal risk.

Because of the end to end private LTE network set up by Nokia, the drones were able to operate without interruption, an issue that could arise in a disaster situation with an open wireless network.  Mayor Kazuko Kohri of Sendai was very impressed with the test Nokia conducted.  He said, “The use of these drones seems to be very effective in ensuring the safety and security of Sendai and its surrounding areas. The demonstration by Nokia showed that we should be able to respond faster and provide better information to the people in the most affected areas during a potential disaster. We are very hopeful that Nokia Drone Networks will help us to reduce risk for our citizens.”

Already the Red Cross has adopted Nokia’s Drone Network in the Philippines as a way of using social infrastructure in disaster relief operations.  The head of Nokia’s Japan offices, John Harrington said, “We are very pleased that we have successfully completed this drone flight demonstration with Sendai City, highlighting the effectiveness of using drones and private LTE for disaster prevention and mitigation…Based on this demonstration, we hope to contribute to disaster prevention and mitigation for Sendai City and other local governments in Japan.”  While you may not meet anyone using a Nokia cell phone any longer, it is quite possible that you could meet someone whose life was saved thanks to the Nokia Drone Network and Digital Automation Cloud.

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