O2 Motion

The recent UK heatwaves and warnings of more to come have pulled into sharp focus the climate threat we’re all facing and why it’s so important that businesses play their part in tackling it.

We’ve been taking our own steps towards a greener operation with initiatives such as our mobile phone recycling programme, the move to renewable energy at our headquarters and the introduction of a fully electric company fleet. But it’s not just about what we do as one individual business, it’s about who we partner with too; making sure they share the same commitment to social responsibility.

Virgin Media O2 is one of the companies that we work with closely to provide the best possible tailor-made services, connections and deals for our customers. As well as offering an award-winning network, O2 is also at the forefront of using advanced technology to improve all our lives.

Guided by data collected from its mobile phone network, the O2 Motion project is pinpointing opportunities to make our towns and cities smarter and healthier places, from improving air quality and traffic flow to fixing potholes. O2 Motion is part of Government-funded trials happening across Thames Valley local authorities which will positively change the future of town planning.

Every time a mobile device connects to a mast, it creates a data footprint. Following strict privacy guidelines which protect the identification of network users, those footprints can then be analysed to help local authorities build up a picture of how people travel locally. That in turn means they can identify the most heavily congested routes, see exactly which roads need improving, and which are most exposed to dangerous air pollution.

Here’s how O2 and The Thames Valley Berkshire Live Lab projects are making a difference:

• Air quality: O2 Motion movement data combined with the findings from Siemens air quality monitors can measure air quality and exposure to harmful pollutants, revealing how many people are affected, for how long, and on what types of journeys.
• Road surfaces: Crowd movement data from O2 Motion, road usage statistics from Siemens, and information from 3D cameras mounted on bin lorries will map the most heavily used local routes with the worst road surface quality.
• Traffic flow: Siemens will use O2 Motion data to get a real-time picture of traffic and explore new, tech-driven ways of easing it.
• Health: O2 Motion crowd movement data alongside road usage and air quality data from Siemens will show how town layouts impact social issues and health risks such as loneliness and obesity. That means local authorities can see where health issues are now, and where they’re likely to be in the future.
• Energy: Initiatives include a collaboration with smart charging specialist ev.energy, in partnership with Hubject, to provide insights on charging and usage of electric vehicles. This will help local authorities get a clearer understanding of current and future EV trends.

By having all this tech-driven knowledge, local authorities can hopefully map out smarter towns and cities of the future – and help everyone make healthier greener choices.

To find out more about why we work with O2 visit www.challenger-mobile.co.uk/why-o2-for-business