Safecast

International volunteer-centered organization

Safecast was founded in the aftermath of the March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown. The organization began as a citizen-led effort to collect and openly share radiation data when trustworthy information was scarce. In the years since, it has grown into a global, volunteer-centered initiative dedicated to open environmental science.

What started as a grassroots project has become the world’s largest open dataset of environmental radiation readings, with coverage spanning multiple continents. Safecast has also expanded its focus to include air quality monitoring, giving communities worldwide greater access to environmental information.

By combining citizen science with open data principles, Safecast empowers individuals to contribute to (and benefit from) an unprecedented, freely available environmental dataset.

“The outstanding [Soracom] User Console replaces what used to be various complex services we outsourced separately with a single integrated platform where we can manage devices and SIMs.”

Pieter Franken

Co-Founder and Japan Director

Safecast

The Connectivity Challenge: A need for real-time, reliable data

The Fukushima disaster highlighted a critical gap in environmental monitoring: the lack of readily available, real-time radiation data. Communities needed accurate, localized information that could be collected and shared continuously, not just intermittently or through official channels.

Building a global sensor network posed significant challenges. Devices needed to be simple enough for volunteers to install themselves, while still capable of transmitting reliable data at all times. Since installations could be anywhere – from city homes to remote rural areas – connectivity had to be robust and accessible even in places without standard internet access.

To succeed, Safecast needed a connectivity solution that balanced ease of deployment, global reach, and centralized manageability, allowing them to focus on data collection and analysis rather than technical overhead.

Solution: A citizen science network powered by IoT sensors

Safecast developed a distributed sensing network using IoT devices equipped with radiation and air quality sensors. These devices transmit environmental readings in real time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to a global database accessible to the public.

The network is built around volunteer participation. Citizen scientists install and operate devices in their own homes, neighborhoods, and communities, contributing to a growing body of environmental data. This model enables rapid expansion without requiring a large centralized infrastructure.

Thanks to IoT technology, Safecast can now deliver consistent, reliable environmental measurements at scale. Data is gathered and consolidated in one platform, supporting analysis and visualization that helps individuals, communities, and researchers alike.

Why Soracom: Simple, scalable, and globally available connectivity

For Safecast, one of the greatest technical hurdles was making devices simple enough for volunteers to deploy, while ensuring they could reliably connect from anywhere. As Safecast Co-Founder and Japan Director Pieter Franken explained, “one major challenge to developing this device was maintaining its simplicity while enabling it to get online even in places with no obvious Internet access. We chose to use Soracom Air for its ability to communicate over the mobile grid.”

By using Soracom Air SIM cards, Safecast ensures that devices can connect securely and seamlessly in diverse environments without requiring complex setup. Volunteers can focus on contributing data, while Soracom provides the infrastructure for reliable communication.

As Franken noted, “The outstanding User Console replaces what used to be various complex services we outsourced separately with a single integrated platform where we can manage devices and SIMs.” This integration has streamlined operations, reduced costs, and made it possible for Safecast to scale their network globally.

Future Plans: Expanding reach and impact through open science

Safecast remains committed to empowering communities with accurate, real-time environmental data. By continuing to grow its network of radiation and air quality sensors, the organization can broaden its coverage and provide even more valuable insights to people around the world.

Future efforts will likely focus on expanding the diversity of data collected and strengthening the tools available to volunteers and researchers. The emphasis on simplicity and openness ensures that anyone, anywhere, can participate in data collection.

With Soracom’s global connectivity and management capabilities, Safecast is well-positioned to keep scaling its operations, helping citizens, governments, and researchers access the environmental information they need to protect communities and the planet.