5G could disrupt weather satellites, US meteorologists warn

Meteorologists from the U.S. are expressing concerns over the rollout of 5G mobile data. In the past, meteorologists have claimed that 5G radios can interfere with weather satellite signals.

News outlet The Register reports that a group of scientists has written a joint letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In the letter, US forecasters describe the situation as “deeply concerning”.

The letter also pleads for a radio spectrum auction to delay public 5G use. The interference caused by an increase in communications activity can have grave consequences.

According to the American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, this could delay the reporting of crucial weather information. Pairing this with the looming threat of worsened weather conditions due to climate change and disaster is bound to happen.

The multiple weather groups argued that keeping the networks from being interfered with is “crucially important for public safety and scientific research”.

In a separate letter to the FCC, AccuWeather executive Jonathan Porter says:
“The loss of seconds can mean the difference between safety and grave risk to life and property.”

It is worth noting that weather experts also rely on thousands of ground-based sensors to gather data on Earth.

Speaking to BBC, professor William Web the author of the book The 5G myth says the level of interference varies.

“If it’s only deployed in city centres it probably won’t cause interference, but if it’s used in large volumes near the meteorological sites then yes it could,” Webb said.

Christian Woods
Christian Woods
Christian is a morning reporter and technology columnist for Best in Australia. Christian has worked in the media since 2000, in a range of locations. He joined Best in Australia in 2018, and began working in Melbourne in 2019.
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