The introduction of 5G mobile phone networks could seriously affect weather forecasters’ ability to predict major storms.
I know, it sounds like tin-foil hat stuff but there’s a lot of very smart people behind the concerns that the ongoing rollout of 5G and it’s associated spectrum could in fact hinder weather forecasting data and in fact prove dangerous by harming the prediction of life threatening weather patterns.
In a nutshell the natural wavelength of weather related elements are extremely close to areas of the 5G spectrum. Water vapour for instance has a natural wavelength of 23.8 GHz, which comes extremely close to already auctioned off 5G spectrum in the US.
The fear is that overlapping mobile phone traffic could then be interpreted by satellites incorrectly and lead to incorrect weather modelling.
Other crossover spectrums include the 36-37 GHz band, which is used to study rain and snow; the 50 GHz band, which is used to measure atmospheric temperature; and the 86-92 GHz band for the analysis of cloud and ice.
Could the be the beginning of an awful Jake Gyllenhaal film? Will our hubris in fact be our end as we search for faster wireless technology? Time will tell.
Source: 5G signal could jam satellites that help with weather forecasting | World news | The Guardian