In its submission to the World Radiocommunication Conference, WMO stresses that radio frequencies are critical for weather forecasts, disaster warnings and climate monitoring.
It urges the Conference to ensure the availability and protection of scare radio-frequency bands to enable and exchanging these Earth observations.
16 January 2012: In its submission to the World Radiocommunication Conference, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) underscores the high dependence of radio frequency bands of weather forecasts, disaster warnings and climate monitoring. WMO warns that increasing pressure on the use of radio spectrum from wireless technology and other applications could hamper Earth observations, as well as efforts to understand and predict climate change.
The World Radiocommunication Conference is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 23 January to 17 February 2012, to review and revise the radio regulations that govern the use of radio-frequency spectrum. In its submission, WMO stresses that radio frequencies are critical for collecting Earth observational data and disseminating it to society. It urges the Conference to ensure the availability and protection of scare radio-frequency bands to enable and exchanging these observations.
According to WMO, the development of “new, mass-market and added-value radio applications and wireless technology is putting increasing pressure on the frequency bands used for meteorological purposes.” This in turn could limit future meteorological applications. [WMO Press Release]