DOCOMO, a mobile company out of Japan, is doing something otherwise unheard of for a mobile network. They are going to be gathering environmental data based on measuring pollen, carbon dioxide, ultraviolet sunlight among other atmospheric factors that could pose a threat to people in the area of each tower. DOCOMO will make this happen with their existing tower network and expect to have 2,500 sensors in place by 2010.

What does this mean to you?

Two things. First, this provides an example of how a mobile company can both do something worthwhile for the environment in addition to do so at a relatively small expense. The second factor is that it means that alerts can be issued should ultraviolet sunlight or other immediate threats become apparent in a given location. Here in the States, there are a number of companies already exploring resources like this. If you are interested in having access to data like this, it’s best to check with you local mobile provider to see if your carrier is among them.