ITU and WMO push to protect radio spectrum for meteorology

The ITU-WMO Global Seminar on spectrum use for meteorology concludes in Geneva today. Spectrum regulators, weather services, satellite experts and international organizations are reviewing how to protect radio frequencies used for weather, climate, water and hazard warning, while launching an updated joint handbook. The agenda covers space- and ground-based observation, radio-frequency interference, commercial data, cloud processing and preparations for the 2027 and 2031 World Radiocommunication Conferences. The tension is that demand for wireless communications and satellite services is rising while interference can degrade passive sensing, radar and data links that support forecasts and early warning. Today confirms a regulatory and technical coordination process, not resolution; adoption, interference monitoring and cross-border enforcement are the next tests.