Unacast is committed to using our data towards humanitarian efforts to solve global health problems.
As a good corporate citizen, we at Unacast feel strongly that our solutions can, and should, be used to better our world. Therefore, Unacast is committed to using our data towards humanitarian efforts to solve global health problems.
- Location data can help prepare for and recover from natural disasters, mitigate the spread of diseases, protect the environment through monitoring, and more.
- Historical data can help organizations understand past behaviors in order to predict future trends.
- For institutions who have their own data but no way to privately process it, Turbine is Unacast’s platform-as-a-service offering
And we are now proud to share that we are bringing Turbine to the world - to help fight COVID-19 and to help societies plan and organize for a “new normal” post COVID-19.
Unacast helps fight COVID-19 in Nigeria with telco MTN
To help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, which has so far resulted approximately 5000 deaths and over 50 000 infected, we are announcing a partnership with telco MTN to use privacy-friendly, aggregated and anonymized, human mobility insights derived from MTN’s network data, to make available a version of Unacast’s recognized and widely used COVID-19 Social Distancing Scoreboard for Nigerian citizens and officials.
Together, we will provide this easy-to-use dataset on a pro-bono basis to enable public officials, public health leaders and other organizations, and the public itself to understand and convey the importance of social distancing in fighting the spread of COVID-19.
“Social distancing has proven to be an effective tactic in helping fight the pandemic, and the Unacast’s Social Distancing Scoreboard has been embraced around the world by leaders, media and citizens alike as a way to convey its impact,” said Unacast CEO, Thomas Walle. “The scoreboard is designed to provide actionable data that is easy for the public to grasp. We are honored to work with MTN to make this available to the citizens of Nigeria.”
The measure comes at a time when Nigeria’s healthcare system is strained with managing rising cases and protective equipment shortages. Human mobility insights from Unacast’s Social Distancing Scoreboard will enable African public officials and the population to make informed and proactive decisions when navigating COVID-19 across regions. And, as the Nigerian economy continues to grow, Unacast’s human mobility platform will also allow African decision makers to access data-driven insights for urban planning and development including real estate, retail, transportation, research and more.
“To fight this pandemic, we must work as a community, with government, business, the healthcare system and citizens joining forces to practice social distancing and other safety measures,” said Chief Corporate Services Officer, MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo. “MTN is pleased to collaborate with Unacast by bringing this Social Distancing Scoreboard to the public as an important tool we can all use to flatten the curve.”
The Social Distancing Scoreboard will leverage Unacast’s Turbine platform for aggregated and anonymized telecommunication data via MTN. Specifically designed for telecommunications companies, Turbine turns raw location data from mobile networks to privacy-safe, anonymized, and aggregated human mobility insights. The technology allows end users to distill vast datasets that accurately understand human mobility across a large area like Nigeria - extrapolated to show trends by region As with all Unacast technology, the Social Distancing Scoreboard follows local privacy guidelines, like the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation.
The MTN Unacast Social Distancing Scoreboard for Nigeria is the latest in a range of COVID-19 toolkit options Unacast has developed to help public and private enterprise, public health, NGOs and governments inform decision-making during the pandemic.
About MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting over 70 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria’s leadership position in coverage, capacity and innovation has remained constant, since its launch in 2001. MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a leading emerging market operator, connecting more than 250 million subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. To learn more about MTN Nigeria and its various initiatives, visit www.mtnonline.com
