Hurricane tracking technology is about to regress 30 years, thanks to 5G cell networks
f you've been transfixed by the minute-by-minute tracking of Hurricane Dorian, thank a weather satellite. Data from weather satellites, weather stations and radar makes it possible for forecasters to use computer simulations to predict a hurricane’s path — and those predictions, though imperfect, help save lives. Yet as forecasting technology continues to improve, it faces a big threat that could impede humanity's ability to predict the path and intensity of category 5 hurricanes like Dorian: specifically, the onset of 5G cellular technology, the blazing-fast fifth generation wireless cellular network that is currently being rolled out.
What does a cellular network have to do with weather forecasting? It turns out quite a lot, as one signal interferes with the other.
In May 2019, Neil Jacobs, the acting head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), testified before Capitol Hill that 5G wireless signals could decrease forecasting accuracy by 30 percent.
“This would degrade the forecast skill by up to 30%. If you look back in time to see when our forecast skill was roughly 30% less than it was today, it's somewhere around 1980,” Jacobs said in May. “This would result in the reduction of hurricane track[ing] forecasts’ lead time by roughly two to three days.” A delay of two to three days could have a catastrophic effect on human life.
Still, these warnings haven't swayed regulators nor the cell phone industry. In August, Sprint announced more cities would be added to its 5G rollout plan. AT&T already has 5G available to corporate customers in various cities. Verizon already offers 5G to customers and has plans to expand, too.
https://www.salon.com/2019/09/04/hurricane-tracking-technology-is-about-to-regress-30-years-thanks-to-5g-cell-networks/
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