Optical fiber network mapping to enhance business operations, reduce capital expenditures, and increase customer service.

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system used to store, edit, analyze and display geographically referenced information. This system utilizes GIS to map out where Fiber Cables are installed and used in order to provide valuable information to telecommunication companies for more accurate planning for new fiber network and seamless management of the entire integrated infrastructure. Staying competitive in the modern fiber optic development space is hard without a Geographic Information System (GIS). GIS platforms enable fiber network managers to create high-quality digital representations of their networks, run data queries, troubleshoot issues, and plan for future growth. 

Fiber Maps Defined 

A visual representation of a fiber network is called a “fiber map.” 

GIS fiber mapping is essential for the following reasons: 

• Understanding how all network components work together
• Revealing spatial distribution and growth opportunities
• Identifying network vulnerabilities 
• Improving system analyses

Understanding your network 

When it comes to fiber network management, operators must be able to visualize how all elements are arranged and related to each other. Creating visual representations of fiber optic networks, or fiber maps, helps bring about a deeper level of understanding of how a network is performing. With fiber maps, operators have a digital record of all network components that is easy to maintain and reference. Evaluating spatial distribution and planning for the future Using GIS platforms, fiber network operators can gain a clearer perspective on how components are distributed spatially across a given market. They can see where they lack coverage and plan expansion efforts more effectively. For example, a network operator could reference a fiber map to see where he or she has excess capacity in existing cable routes. With this information, the operator could make an informed decision on how to expand to serve new clients. Sales teams can also use fiber maps to see where they should focus their efforts. They could query network data to identify potential clients who were positioned close to unused fiber strands. Without investing major capital into new cable installations, sales leads could turn to their fiber maps for ideas on how to grow within a market. GIS fiber maps can also help network managers decide how to allocate limited resources, such as repair support. Guided by GIS tools, they could identify areas with the highest concentrations of clients and place repair technicians near those areas in order to reduce issue response times.

Keeping networks up and running

 Any fiber network operator knows the importance of effective troubleshooting. GIS platforms make it much easier for fiber optic network managers to identify problems and address them quickly. For example, network operators can use the fiber maps to determine where cable issues are occurring. Additionally, field technicians can study urban basemaps to create minimally invasive action plans when cables need repair. At the same time, operators could see where they have extra capacity to support clients while primary routes are repaired. Overall, using GIS for fiber management is less costly and reduces downtime for end users. On a broader level, GIS fiber mapping can help operators discover network vulnerabilities. Fiber maps make it much easier to recognize where there is a lack in network redundancy that could create issues down the road. Operators can use this information to address weaknesses and avoid future problems.

Web-based GIS 

With a web-based GIS product, many different departments within a company can access the data and use it for various applications including engineering, operations, research & development, marketing, finance, and planning. Overall, there are many use cases for fiber maps as operators can combine data layers in countless ways. Being able to visualize network elements has tremendous advantages for managing and optimizing fiber optic networks over the long term. 

Geotagged inventory of customers 

Visualizing customer distribution will generate locational intelligence that will help guide logistics management, enhancing inventory and marketing decisions. Geotagging can help you optimize your resources' distribution between branches. Identify how and where customers interact with your brand, helping you make better inventory and marketing decisions

Contact GeoSensitive for all your GIS Mapping Needs.
Ph: 7057067906

GIS in Everyday Life

Wondering how to identify the accident prone zones on a road? Or how to put up your collected data in a pictorial form on a map canvas? The answer is very simple- GIS, Geographic Information system. Through the use of highly specialized and efficient technology, modern geography is able to collect, analyse, and report on data about Earth’s surface. 

Geographic Information System acts as a powerful decision-making tool for any business or industry since it allows to analyse environmental, statistical and topographic data. Data from GIS applications help companies and various industries, and consumers, make better decisions. Not only for bigger companies and scientific purposes but GIS can also be used by common people to solve their community-level problems. GIS-generated datasheets or maps are easy to read and highly efficient, even for a non-familiar person. For example, GIS can be used to generate accident prone zone map of any selected area or simply to know the crops grown in an area. These maps are easy to read and analyse. 

Let us have a look at some scenarios where GIS can be helpful and convenient. 

1. Urban planning- GIS can help select sites for new developments and analyse the growth in urbanization. It can be useful for construction sites and the laying of new paths. 

2. Environmental Impact Analysis- GIS can be beneficial for the preservation of natural resources and the creation of new eco-sensitive areas. It can also help to understand the impact of human activities on the environment. 

3. Agriculture- More appropriate techniques can be used if GIS analysis has been done over an agricultural area. Production of crops, their maintenance and harvesting can also be managed and known through GIS. 

4. Disaster management- GIS can be a source of information for disaster-prone areas. Being reliable and quick in updates, can help with rescue operations and relocating the people to the nearest safe zones. 

5. Surveying- Data collected through surveys can be easily transferred to GIS software to generate maps and reports that are easier to understand. These can be useful to develop action plans if needed.

 

Apart from the mentioned, GIS is also a tool for navigation, transportation, resource management, garbage management, water facilities and much more. Using GIS for solving the problems that we see around, not only helps to provide a solution but also does it in an effective way. This, in turn, would make things easily manageable and systematic. All we need to do is find the cause of the problem and GIS helps to provide a solution! 

 -Apoorva Pimprikar

Intern,

Geosensitive, 2022.

Margao City Heritage Walk

Take a stroll along Margao's streets to admire the Portuguese heritage architecture. An interactive city map with photos is presented. To expand the photo, click on the house icons. Click on the link below to access the web map.

https://malcolmadvetureseeker.github.io/Portuguese-Houses-in-Margao/#16/15.2827/73.9613

Contact Geosensitive at 7057067906 or geosensitive.goa@gmail.com if you would like more information about such maps.

Geotagging of plant saplings during plantation drives

Monsoon season is here, so it's time to plant more trees and saplings to regenerate forests. Seeds and saplings are distributed throughout Goa by NGOs, institutions, forest departments, local MLAs, etc. This is an annual event during this time. That's great, but how successful are these campaigns? These campaigns are rarely assessed based on data that can verify the success of particular campaigns. Has the plant grown to maturity? What was the number? What is their location? Those trees were planted by whom? When were they planted? We would be more accountable for our plantation campaigns if this data were available, in addition, the spatial distribution of the saplings would allow us to determine what areas are currently covered by our program and where new plantation drives could be launched. As such initiatives are rarely successful without community support, we will also know where to look for volunteers. Mobile technology, such as geotagging, can help us achieve this goal. 

 

Geotagging refers to adding geographic coordinates to media based on a mobile device's location. The geotag can be applied to photos, videos, websites, text messages, and QR codes, and it could also include a time stamp. 

Geotagging can help us 

• In order to assess the growth of plants through Apps and websites
• Assessing the protection of plants and saplings
• Locating and counting trees and saplings in order to document the afforestation process 

As part of the Plantation Programme, all plants must be geotagged so that the authorities can monitor their progress. 

This makes it prudent to include geotagging of the saplings as part of future sampling drives. Due to low-cost technology and easy access to mobile phones, this novel technology is now accessible to everyone. 

GeoSensitive has been the technical team behind the ongoing Plantation Drive with Geotagging 2022 in Benaulim Constituency, Salcete Goa.

You can reach us at geosensitive.goa@gamil.com or WhatsApp on 7057067906 for help

Georeferencing

 

Georeferencing is the name given to the process of transforming a scanned map or aerial photograph so that GIS or mapping software can 'place' the image in its appropriate real-world location

GIS for Agricultural Planning at Village Level

Agricultural activity is best handled through community participation. This is particularly relevant in the case of Goa, India where farm holdings are extremely small and fragmented. In community farming, resources are shared and managed together, thereby bringing greater benefits to all. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to map and quantify all the available agricultural land in a village and identify its status of utilization, i.e. whether it is cultivated or not.  

An Agricultural Map of Carmona Village in South Goa is shown here. In order to map all the designated agricultural land in the villager, the Regional Plan for Carmona was used as a basemap. Various high-resolution satellite imagery was interpreted using Google Earth Engine and Google earth pro to identify cultivated and uncultivated areas. The map was further validated on the ground with farmer inputs before it was finalized.

Using this map, the village can better plan logistics for cultivating 250.5 ha of agricultural land, of which 90.2 ha are cultivated and 160.3 ha are uncultivated. 

On the basis of the spatial insight provided by the map, the farmers have identified four clusters of areas. Clusters have a designated farmer in charge to oversee all the farmers who have land in that particular cluster. This is the first time a local farmers' group has used GIS and Remote Sensing technology for grassroots planning in Goa. There is still a long way to go, and more plans for GIS implementation are in the works. This will be covered in another post. watch this space. Thanks for reading.

Community Outreach Footprint Mapping

A lot of NGOs work in specific regions where they conduct various activities for the communities that they serve. Many times the objective is to reach out to the maximum number of people in need, this also needs to be done in a cost-effective and efficient manner without missing out on anyone. this is where GIS can help gain spatial insight for better decision-making. 

Presenting a community outreach footprint map. This map depicts the areas covered under community outreach initiatives of a local NGO based in Goa. Such maps can help the NGO's/Organizations/Institutions gain a spatial insight into planning their activities more efficiently. For example, they can identify areas of clusters of activities and areas that have remained out of their outreach programmes and hence plan further activities in these areas.

Contact: geosensitive@gmail.com