January 12 PlanetWatch AMA recap

In this article you can find a recap of the 12th of January AMA with our CEO, Claudio Parrinello.

Main announcements

🟢 Type 1 and Type 3 Q4 2021 batch

We are closing the sales. By now, all emails have been sent out.
Please bear in mind that when you buy a license for a sensor we are selling directly, such as Type 1 and Type 3, you will get placed on a waiting list. Unfortunately, at the moment, we cannot guarantee you will be able to buy the device in the same quarter – typically it is a quarter later. 
So, in fact, the Q4 2021 batch refers to people who have bought their licenses prior to that (Q3 2021).
We aim to shrink this time gap in 2022.

🔵 Helium-ready Type 2 device on the making

As previously announced, there will be two new Type 2 devices, one of them which uses Helium network connectivity, being the first step in the PlanetWatch-Helium partnership roadmap.
Check the video below to have a sneak peek at this prototype. We are still testing and optimising it as well as finishing all the details regarding materials, appearance and pricing. 

🟢 New Type 2 and Type 4 devices

Our goal is to put up for sale before the end of Q1 2022 two new Type 2 and a new Type 4 sensors. 
If demand exceeds supply, people who own unused Type 2 and Type 4 licenses will be placed on a waiting list based on the date of purchase of their license.
This is our policy for all devices we sell directly: people who own unused licenses have priority over new buyers.

Q&A with Claudio

What is the interval for Type 1 sensor calibration?
For Type 1 sensors, we anticipate recalibration may be needed every two years. When the time comes, we will let you know what to do. 
If your sensor is working properly, you do not have to worry about recalibration for now.

When do you expect the data we are streaming to be sold? Are there any companies currently interested? How does the collaboration with Helium affect our market value and the company productivity?
Summing up, there are two scenarios for selling the data streamed from the sensors deployed by our community:
– Short/Mid-term – We can sell it at a local level and for that we need not only to reach high density in a certain city but also to get the decision makers interested.
– Mid/Long-term – We can sell it at a global level, which will require more time because, before attracting interest from providers of Mapping and Health & Fitness Apps, we have to broaden our coverage worldwide.
For the first scenario, we are engaging in conversations with several stakeholders. The best-known local project is the one we will undertake in Miami, where the Mayor has already announced a partnership with PlanetWatch. We are currently discussing the details.
Regarding Helium, our collaboration is still at an early stage but we see a strong potential for further synergies in which we leverage each other’s community and network to scale faster. All in all, PlanetWatch can be both a use case for Helium and a global partner. 

Why isn’t tracking information sent to customers via email? The devices are very expensive and customers are left guessing where their packages are.
That is something we hope to improve in terms of customer service very soon.
At the moment, when you buy a sensor from us, we hand it out to a courier and they will send you a tracking number within a few days after the purchase.
In the future, we will email you as soon as we have sent the sensor to the courier so that you can have more visibility over the process.

Canada is all about clean air and we even pay a carbon tax. I’m sure Canada would find the sensor data useful. Have you approached the Canadian government?
Not directly. We are currently talking to some large corporate Canadian players who are very interested in partnerships and perhaps can help us get in touch with government agencies at some point.

The UK government announced they were placing air quality monitors in schools. Have PlanetWatch looked into participating in this?
The opportunities for PlanetWatch are ever-growing so, unfortunately, it is almost impossible for us to be on top of everything on a global scale. We appreciate your heads up and we will look into it with some UK partners. 
We believe that having reliable local partners is fundamental to reaching the negotiations’ table with governments and taking part in large projects like the one mentioned.

The recent announcement of PlanetWatch collaborating with Helium on a sensor that will work on the Helium network is exciting news! Would PlanetWatch ever consider collaborating with any other decentralised networks, such as MXC? 
Also, can you promise you won’t do business with Fastminers?
We review all partnerships very carefully to assess what is the value attached and what are the risks involved for PlanetWatch and for our community.
We have always been very transparent since the beginning so just trust us on this.

Can we correct the address for devices, namely Awair Element, on the PlanetWatch App?
We were experiencing a location bug a few days ago, which has already been fixed.
For onboarded devices, you should check their location on the Explorer and see whether it matches your exact location or not.
For new devices, you should put your actual location and then check on the Explorer to confirm if it is showing the correct location. 
In case any changes to your location are needed, please do it directly on the Explorer. 
On the next App upgrade, we will add a feature that makes it almost seamless to insert your location.

There were a lot of discussions that might need clarification about Helium. People think the new device will mine Helium HNT and PLANETS. My understanding was it uses the Helium LoRa Network. Maybe you can clarify on that?
You are right. PlanetWatch’s new Type 2 air quality sensor will only use Helium network connectivity to broadcast the data and will not mine HNT.
Later on, there might be other devices in the pipeline but, for the time being, we will be using Helium’s connectivity not providing it.

What’s next to help the owners of the Awair Element sensors? I currently have 4 onboarded and the two free months extensions are finished and nothing fixed yet. The manufacturer is still selling them when they can’t keep up with more units being onboarded.
We expect to have feedback from Awair related to these technical issues in the upcoming days. 
These difficulties have been going on for way too long but we will find a solution as we always have. In the meantime, you may want to wait before purchasing Awair Element sensors.

Keep watching our Planet and get ready to help us make it greener by staking your PLANETS! 🌍