Rogers, University of Calgary create Internet of Things partnership

Rogers Communications Inc. has signed a five year agreement with the University of Calgary to further Internet of Things research, the company announced in a Thursday media release. Steven Liang, an associate professor in the Department of Geomatics Engineering at the university's Schulich School of Engineering, has been named to lead the newly established Rogers Internet of Things Chair, which intends to drive innovative business services. In a phone interview, Liang said the newly established program would study and develop coordinated approaches to issues including protecting people from COVID-19 and lowering methane levels. “Today’s reality in organizations big and small, for example, firefighters, smart cities, big systems, they do not talk to each other, they cannot coordinate with each other, and that’s where we come in,” Liang said. Coordinating disparate sensing systems is needed to protect workforces and workplaces from COVID-19, Liang said. “You need a situational awareness that includes all these different systems, whether it’s a cellphone tracking system, or your cleaning crew schedule, or some wearable systems, they’re all siloed,” he said. “That’s where we come in, provide this bird’s eye view about the risk level of the work forces and work places so we can be safe.” Another area of research is 5G networks, Liang said, understanding their potential uses, limitations, security and interoperability issues. Rogers for Business president Dean Prevost said in a media release that the partnership would bring groundbreaking IoT research and innovation to Canada. “This exciting research is critical to developing the applications and IoT business solutions necessary to transform industries, support small businesses, and drive our economy when it's needed most,” Prevost said. The research partnership would fund 20 additional graduate students over the next five years, Liang said, on top of Liang’s current program of seven students, two research engineers and one postdoctoral research fellow. The partnership comes a week after BCE Inc. partnered with Western University on a “living lab” to test applications for the fifth generation of mobile networks.

Rogers, University of Calgary create Internet of Things partnership

Brief | June 18, 2020

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Rogers, University of Calgary create Internet of Things partnership

Brief | June 18, 2020

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