Hydroinformatics Institute (H2i) will tap StarHub’s ubiquitous network of mobile base stations as “opportunistic” rainfall sensors, creating a cost-effective rainfall monitoring system in a pilot by the Public Utilities Board (PUB), which is expected to be launched in the second quarter of the year.
The idea was among four PUB Global Innovation Challenge winners, picked for its potential to drive operational excellence and address Singapore’s future water needs through the application of digital solutions and smart technologies. The idea, which won the “Cost-effective Rainfall Monitoring” challenge, was chosen from some 57 applicants across four challenges. The team will receive mentorship, test-bedding opportunities, and support from PUB to further commercialise and scale the idea.
The H2i-StarHub team will be commissioned for a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) in Singapore’s southwestern district. If the pilot is successful, the project could be extended to the Proof-of-Value stage and cover more of the island, and eventually lead to a full national roll-out. This is the first time that such a system is being trialled in Singapore.
Accurate rainfall readings are critical for water resource management, early flood warnings and weather predictions. Traditional rain gauges are often spaced too far apart to collect high-resolution data. In the tropics, where rainfall varies greatly over space and time, it can often be challenging to quantify and forecast. Having a greater variety and density of data sources can make modelling more accurate, and predictions more precise. Microwave backhaul links – or the wireless connections between mobile base stations – provide an efficient and cost-effective way to plug some of the information gaps.
Chong Siew Loong, Chief Technology Officer, StarHub says, “From implementing energy saving measures through the use of technology, to adopting more renewable energy sources for our network infrastructure, StarHub has been proactively addressing climate change and mitigating its impact to us and our community.”
As it is, StarHub was recently ranked the world’s most sustainable wireless telecommunication service provider by Corporate Knights.
“The beauty of this solution is that we get ready data that enhances information from existing rain measurement systems without the need to create additional infrastructure or make additional investments. The data will simply be further mined using Machine Learning, and be translated into rainfall intensity insights that can be visualised on a dashboard,” says Dr Keem Munsung, a radar specialist with H2i.
