Vodafone Qatar, the country’s leading telecom service provider, has been exploring ways that lead towards more sustainable economies and communities in the wake of the pandemic recession.
Vodafone Qatar noted that technology has emerged as a reliable driver for the country’s path to sustainability, and is growing in importance and influence.
For Qatar, sustainability is an integral part of the country’s development. Sustainability has long been woven into Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the country’s hosting of the 2012 COP18 Conference, as well as the country’s development plans and the recently launched National Environmental and Climate Change Strategy.
Vodafone Qatar stated that “Our lifestyles, the way cities function, how traffic interconnects and businesses operate are all powered by numerous technologies. Some are more visible than others, but they are omnipresent. By the same token, our ability to implement sustainable lifestyles hangs on these very same advancements in tech.”
“This is where innovation from Vodafone Qatar plays a crucial part, as for years its investments in sustainable technologies and projects have actualized a future that respects both individual and collective needs,” Vodafone Qatar added.
Vodafone is at the forefront of the digital-first sustainability revolution, from agriculture to transportation and smart home.
Smart Transportation
Smart transportation, such as electric scooters on the streets around Doha, can help ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon footprint. Vodafone has long supported Qatari startup Loop Mobility in strengthening its smart scooter sharing service through its Internet of Things (IoT) solution, thereby paving the way for eco-friendly urban mobility.
Smart Meters
By the end of 2020, Vodafone has partnered with Kahramaa to install 600,000 smart meters of Vodafone IoT SIMs in homes and companies across the country, enabling users to read live meters, making water and electricity meters easier to read.
The added benefit of these smart meters is the users will be able to control their energy consumption by gaining a clear understanding of their usage patterns, which will prevent wastage of energy, Vodafone said.
Smart City Project
Doha Downtown’s Msheireb Smart City Project receives fast 5G coverage from Vodafone as part of its green initiative to bring sustainable technology to the real estate industry and disrupt outdated ideas of city life. Technologies such as 5G, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) improve the connectivity, efficiency, and sustainability of smart cities.
Sustainable Agriculture
According to Vodafone, sustainable agriculture is data-driven and efficient. Launched nationwide in 2019, Vodafone’s secure narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) network provides IoT to farmers and agricultural companies. This will enable farmers to plant, fertilize and harvest using automated and climate-smart farming equipment. Sensor data analytics offer unprecedented transparency, including greenhouses to optimize the use of water, energy, fertilizers and even pesticides.
Vodafone Qatar has made sustainability one of its three main pillars, along with sports and innovation, based on the knowledge that a climate-resistant society promotes local action for global change.
Qatar Vodafone further stated that “This is part of a national action plan towards Qatar’s environmental and sustainable development goals, yet on a personal level; it also offers a new way of life that introduces easier, more efficient and therefore greener everyday practices into our homes and offices.”
