SK Telecom announced on August 30 that it launched ‘Smart Air for School,’ an IoT-based air quality monitoring and management service for schools.

Smart Air for School accurately measures and analyzes air quality – e.g. fine dust (PM2.5, PM10) temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc. – in and around schools on a real time basis and instantly takes appropriate actions to improve the air quality.

Designed to interwork with SK Telecom’s Smart Home-capable electronic appliances, Smart Air for School can automatically activate devices like air purifiers and air conditioners installed in schools to ensure optimal air quality at all times. It also increases overall energy efficiency by operating electronic appliances only when necessary based on real-time analysis of air quality.

To provide more accurate data, Smart Air for School also utilizes information provided by weather and environmental monitoring devices installed at SK Telecom’s mobile base stations nationwide.

Through a mobile app built for each school, teachers, parents and students will be able to check the real-time air quality in and around the school. Moreover, upon detecting poor air quality, the service automatically sends out text messages – free of charge via SK Telecom’s IoT networks - to advise the faculty and students against outdoor activities.

SK Telecom offers both corded and cordless types of outdoor air quality measuring devices for Smart Air for School. In particular, built with a battery, the cord free outdoor air measuring device can be installed anywhere, as opposed the existing devices that need to be connected to a power source at all times. Also, the existing outdoor measuring devices are very expensive – from several tens of millions of won to over one hundred million won per unit - which makes it difficult for schools to install them. However, Smart Air for School, packaged with one outdoor air quality measuring device and six units of indoor air quality measuring devices, is provided at only around KRW 1,500,000 (approx. USD 1,335). In particular, the indoor air quality measurement device used for Smart Air for School is ‘Awair,’ produced by Bitfinder, an IoT company based in Silicon Valley.

Smart Air for School can create an integrated automatic control system within a school as it can interwork with 200 different models of air conditioners, air purifiers and air washers of seven different companies including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Magic, Winix, Winia and Chungho Nais.

Smart Air for School has been first applied to Dongchun School, a special school for students with developmental disorders located in Seoul, as a free trial service.

Furthermore, SK Telecom is reviewing plans to expand the service to other areas, including densely populated residential areas, apartment complexes and parks. Going forward, the company is also planning to develop an IoT-based comprehensive environmental monitoring and forecasting system by combining information related to weather, floods and water quality.

“Smart Air for School will help protect the health of the students and teachers, who spend long hours in schools, and alleviate parents’ concerns for their children’s health,” said Kim Jang-gie, Executive Vice President and Head of IoT Business Division of SK Telecom. “We will continue to provide IoT-based services designed to improve customers’ living environment by leveraging our advanced data analytics and predictive technologies.”