Ericsson and Rogers pilot 'Connected Water' solution for water quality testing with the City of Ottawa

Internet of Things technology will provide real-time data that can be used to improve water-monitoring processes for rivers and streams

Connected sensors will collect data every 30 minutes to complement the City's rigorous water-monitoring program, which performs 80,000 water quality tests annually

TORONTO, Nov. 15, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, Ericsson and Rogers Communications announced their participation in the City of Ottawa's Innovation Pilot Program with a "Connected Water" solution that supports an early detection system for water quality testing. The pilot will leverage a combination of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud and LTE mobile broadband technologies to gather real-time data that City staff can use to better predict, prevent and respond to potential issues related to water quality, including cleanliness and abnormal temperatures.

This Connected Water solution is the first of its kind in Canada and will complement the City of Ottawa's current water monitoring program, which includes approximately 80,000 annual water quality tests for a network of rivers and streams roughly spanning 4,500 kilometres. The sensors are capable of collecting data over a widespread area of the City's watershed system, which can help City staff with improving the efficiencies of their manual testing. In addition to the City, the Rideau Valley, South Nation and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authorities are also participating in the pilot test.

"Having the ability to conduct real-time monitoring of key water quality indicators has the potential to advance the way we manage this natural resource" said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. "We're thrilled to participate in this pilot with Ericsson and Rogers, and are hopeful the results will validate how Internet of Things technology can reinforce our current municipal water testing processes."

The City of Ottawa program will leverage sensors to access data for real-time monitoring and identification of water quality issues. City employees will use this data to provide feedback to Ericsson and Rogers regarding the performance of the Connected Water solution and validate the data generated against existing water testing protocols that are currently in use by the City.

"Hundreds of cities across Canada today rely on manual processes to maintain and deliver utilities. Internet of Things solutions can help municipalities like the City of Ottawa save time and resources while improving the accuracy of their processes," said Charlie Wade, SVP, Products and Solutions, Enterprise Business Unit, Rogers. "Our work with Ericsson and the City is part of our larger focus to help cities and communities across Canada implement products and solutions that will better connect their resources, infrastructure and people."

"Programs similar to this pilot have proven to be extremely effective in remotely monitoring water quality, but they have typically been too expensive to be deployed extensively for a big city like Ottawa," said Graham Osborne, President, Ericsson Canada. "We believe this Connected Water solution is a big step forward in providing government bodies with a cost-effective and efficient technology to monitor a natural resource as crucial as our local rivers and streams."

Rogers has been providing connected solutions to Canadian businesses since 2008, and leads the IoT marketplace in Canada¹ with more than 1.7 million M2M and IoT connections. Rogers has recently introduced four IoT 'as a Service' solutions over the past year, including Food Safety, Farm & Food Monitoring and Level Monitoring, in addition to its portfolio of other IoT solutions.

For more information about IoT solutions from Rogers, visit rogers.com/IoT and the Rogers Business Forum.

About Rogers

Rogers Communications is a leading diversified public Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services to consumers and businesses. Through Rogers Media, we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).  For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure - especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud - are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions - and our customers - stay in front. Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2015 were SEK 246.9 billion (USD 29.4 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.

About the City of Ottawa's Innovation Pilot Program

The City of Ottawa's Innovation Program partners with businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups with relevant City departments for the purpose of product or technology testing. It provides a real-life testing environment before products and services hit the commercial market, while enhancing the delivery of City programs and services to residents.

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1} The Berg Insight 2014

SOURCE Rogers Communications Canada Inc. - English

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