From storm warnings to food preservation: IoT sensors help secure essential living conditions and basic human needs – especially in areas where climate change is already having a full impact and triggering social consequences.
In July 2021, more than 115 litres of rain per square metre fell in three days in Germany’s Ahr valley – twice as much as normally falls in an entire month. The result: over 130 deaths, hundreds injured and more than 3,000 buildings significantly damaged. Researchers concluded that the floods were due to climate change. In addition to climate change, one factor proved fatal – the lack of effective early warning systems that could have enabled timely evacuation.
This is exactly where IoT sensors come in: they continuously measure environmental changes, report critical conditions as real-time data and enable automated responses. Whether it's heavy rain, drought or heat – the more networked the sensor system, the faster and more precisely action can be taken.
By definition, IoT sensors are connected sensors that detect physical parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, movement or light and convert them into digital signals. Using radio standards such as NB-IoT, LoRaWAN or 5G, they transmit the data to a central system, which evaluates it and uses it as a basis to trigger automated processes. So-called IoT sensor nodes enable distributed, smart measurement networks and form the backbone of the Internet of Things (IoT).
A typical IoT sensor node consists of:
This combination makes sensors intelligent and connected – the foundation for data-driven processes in the IoT and the technical basis for enabling precise measuring devices to reliably collect and transmit their data.
NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) is a mobile communication standard developed specifically for IoT applications. It is characterised by low energy consumption, enabling battery lifespans of up to ten years. At the same time, it offers high range – even indoors – and uses low-cost hardware, making it ideal for large-scale deployment and for companies looking to purchase IoT sensors in large quantities.
IoT sensors are available in a wide range of versions as different sensor types – depending on the measurement variable, area of application and transmission technology. Some types have proven particularly effective in practice:
IoT sensors enable early warning and targeted use of resources: they measure water levels, soil moisture or temperature trends and transmit the data in real time to central systems. This allows dangers to be detected more quickly and resources to be used more efficiently. According to Welthungerhilfe, the number of climate-related disasters has almost increased tenfold since 1960 – networked sensor technology is therefore becoming a key solution for prevention and protection.
To ensure that IoT sensors reliably deliver data and trigger automated processes, they always follow the same technical process:
A typical example of this process can be seen in disaster control: an IoT sensor with an integrated Telekom SIM card, attached to a riverbank or building, is able to detect when a threshold value has been exceeded. It sends the digital measurement data in next to no time via an LTE-M or 5G network to an online platform, which analyses the data and sends an alert. Is the water level rising too quickly? Is there a threat of flooding in entire residential areas? In the best-case scenario, such dangers can be detected early enough for local authorities and enterprises to take predictive action and protect the public by means of appropriate countermeasures, up to and including evacuation.
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IoT sensors are used in numerous sectors – from industrial facilities to agriculture and urban infrastructure. Depending on the application, they provide the foundation for efficiency, safety and sustainability.
IoT sensors in industry: In industrial settings, IoT sensors are used for predictive maintenance, quality control, energy optimisation and safety monitoring.
IoT sensors in agriculture: LoRa sensors or NB-IoT sensors are used in agriculture, for example in fields or greenhouses. There, they measure important environmental data such as soil moisture, solar radiation, temperature and humidity in order to precisely control irrigation and resource consumption.
The IoT solution, developed by the company Hidroconta and equipped with embedded connectivity from Telekom, automatically and regularly sends information about water consumption via NB-IoT to a cloud platform. Agricultural companies can then set individual irrigation times in order to use the resource sustainably and not waste it.
Smart cities and disaster prevention: IoT sensors are used in urban areas and risk zones to recognise critical environmental changes at an early stage. In the event of the smallest changes, the technology can warn of floods, storms and forest fires caused by a dry period via an app. In networked cities, they contribute to the safety of the population and enable proactive crisis management.
For example, Deutsche Telekom works with the company divirod to regularly collect water data from lakes, rivers, coasts and roofs around the world - in order to predict the risk of flooding or collapsing roofs in the event of snow or ice. In accordance with the principle of Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), companies can use the measurement data from service providers for a fee as a precautionary measure.
This shows: Using IoT applications for disaster prevention can significantly increase the effectiveness of alerting systems. Since 1970, warning systems have drastically reduced the number of fatalities: on average, fewer than half as many people died from environmental disasters in 2019 than 50 years previously, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
IoT sensors for food and cold chain logistics: IoT temperature sensors ensure that refrigerated transport of meat, fruit or medicines is constantly monitored. If the temperature changes, an alarm is triggered automatically.
According to the WWF, we are currently destroying up to 40 per cent of the food produced worldwide (as of 2021). To ensure that fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat stay fresh for as long as possible and are not thrown away prematurely, transport and storage at an appropriate, constant temperature and humidity are essential. Tracking sensors can help here: They monitor the cold chain and provide a reliable warning before the condition of the goods deteriorates. This allows employees to react at an early stage and adjust the temperature, for example. In this way, supermarkets have to throw away seven per cent less food - tonnes of valuable food in Germany alone.
Whether LoRa sensors, NB-IoT sensors or combined IoT sensor-actuator systems – the possible applications are as diverse as the social challenges. Those who adopt the right technology early not only protect people and resources, but also open up new business opportunities.
At the same time, IoT sensor technology provides the basis for data-driven decision-making in virtually all areas – from urban planning to crisis prevention – and is becoming a key tool for building a resilient and sustainable future.
Our diverse portfolio offers comprehensive mobile communications solutions, customized campus networks, energy-efficient NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies, and satellite IoT for remote areas. This provides you with the right infrastructure for every application – secure, scalable, and future-proof.
Since 2015, Pauline has been passionate about the variety of the IoT world. She has gained a lot of experience with the Internet of Things from different perspectives by working with customers, partners, and start-up companies. For the Telekom IoT blog she writes about technological trends, products, and innovations in the Internet of Things which are implemented in different industries.
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