Ericsson and the Brazilian government have set up an Internet of Things focused lab concentrating on smart agriculture and water, disaster prevention and monitoring applications.
The new Networked Society Lab will test new technologies and measure how the IoT can improve the quality of life across Brazil.
It will form a part of Ericsson’s existing Innovation Centre in the country, which works with a range of universities and telcos to develop the IoT ecosystem.
The centre employs 460 people and has filed 80 patents so far, related to connected buses and bus stops, as well as public safety.
Ulf Ewaldsson, Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson, said: “This Networked Society Lab illustrates our commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Lab will help bring Brazil one step closer to 5G, where new device and sensor technologies leverage network connectivity to power a variety of use cases, such as smarter solutions in agriculture and natural disaster prevention.”
Carla Belitardo, Head of Strategy, Ericsson Latin America, added: “Enabling innovation is of the utmost importance to secure a more sustainable world and to solve challenges that are particular to Brazil. This is why we have named specific focus areas – such as protecting the rainforest, and preventing and monitoring natural disasters. The combined strength of public and private investments will result in real solutions for our society.”
In late 2015, Ericsson worked with América Móvil on 5G and IoT trials across Brazil.