- Telus Corp. (TSX:T) in collaboration with Northeastern University, kicked off a two-day “Hackathon for Good” on November 6, engaging more than 100 graduate students from Northeastern’s Toronto and Vancouver campuses
- The event aimed to harness innovative technology and data solutions to predict street traffic patterns and alleviate potential road congestion during Taylor Swift’s concerts in Toronto from November 14-23, 2024
- The initiative focused on improving traffic management for the City of Toronto during the six concerts, allowing teams to explore various strategies to enhance congestion management during large-scale events
- Telus Corp. (TSX:T) opened trading at C$21.88
Telus Corp. (TSX:T) in collaboration with Northeastern University, kicked off a two-day “Hackathon for Good” on November 6, engaging more than 100 multidisciplinary graduate students from Northeastern’s Toronto and Vancouver campuses. The event aimed to harness innovative technology and data solutions to predict street traffic patterns and alleviate potential road congestion during Taylor Swift’s concerts in Toronto from November 14 – 23, 2024.
This hybrid hackathon provided participants with supervised access to de-identified and aggregated network mobility data through Telus’ Data for Good program, supported by industry experts. The initiative focused on improving traffic management for the City of Toronto during the six concerts, allowing teams to explore various strategies to enhance congestion management during large-scale events.
“This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to using technology for the betterment of our communities,” Yvonne Leung, Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University in Toronto said in a news release. “By harnessing the power of data and young minds, we aim to enhance the concert experience for attendees and improve city traffic management during large-scale events.”
Team 13 takes the win
After a rigorous evaluation process, judges from Telus, Northeastern, and the City of Toronto announced Team 13 from Vancouver as the winners—an apt choice, as the number holds special significance for Taylor Swift! Their analysis revealed that concert-goers typically arrive in Toronto through a concentrated area but disperse widely across the Greater Toronto Area when leaving. This insight provides City officials with a clearer understanding of travel patterns, aiding in better traffic flow, transit planning, and congestion management.
Telus highlights data privacy
The Data for Good program is an initiative that emphasizes privacy by design, granting researchers access to high-quality, de-identified data. Since its inception in 2017, the program has fostered responsible innovation aimed at addressing pressing societal issues while safeguarding individual privacy. In 2023, Telus became the first company globally to achieve ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design certification, underscoring its commitment to trustworthy data practices.
As a leader in data trust, privacy, and security, Telus was also the first telecom to sign a voluntary AI code of conduct introduced by the Canadian federal government. The company has received numerous international accolades for its efforts, including the Responsible AI Institute’s Outstanding Organization prize.
With the insights generated from this hackathon, Telus and Northeastern University are paving the way for smarter traffic management solutions, ensuring that concert-goers can enjoy Taylor Swift’s performances with minimal disruption.
Telus designs, builds, and delivers a wide range of solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, e-commerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare and others.
Telus Corp. (TSX:T) opened trading up 0.14 per cent at C$21.88 but has lost 7.08 per cent since the start of the year.
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(Top image: Telus Corp.)