Radio exclusion zone in Ny-Ålesund: 5G mobile disrupt research facilities

In one of the world's northernmost settlements, several research facilities are under threat from tourists' mobile devices, which have caused significantly more disruption since the introduction of 5G mobile communications. This is reported by the Norwegian online magazine High North News. It concerns the settlement of Ny-Ålesund on Spitsbergen, where a radio ban applies in favor of various measuring stations, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections are switched off and smartphones may only be operated in flight mode. Since 5G was introduced there two years ago, the interference has been so severe that the quality of the measurement data has dropped noticeably.

Tourist attraction or research site?

Ny-Ålesund is the northernmost permanently populated place in the world, but apart from dozens of scientists and researchers in the summer months, only around 30 people live there all year round. To support the research facilities there, however, there are a whole series of restrictions, including a ban on radio communications on all frequencies between 2 and 32 GHz and within a radius of 20 km. Restrictions also apply to drones. However, due to the increasing interference from tourism and cruise ships arriving there, a decision must now be made as to whether the site should be a tourist attraction or a research station, according to the newspaper report by the head of the Norwegian Kartverket.

The Ny-Ålesund no-radio zone is intended to protect the Kartverket's Geodetic Earth Observatory, which uses four different techniques to support global work on a consistent earth model. The aim of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) is to achieve an accuracy of one millimeter and a stability of the model of 0.1 millimeters per year. To achieve this, measurements are carried out at the observatory using so-called long-base interferometry (VLBI). The German GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geosciences also operates a satellite receiving station in Ny-Ålesund, which is also dependent on compliance with the radio ban.

The station receives data from research satellites in polar orbit, but is not allowed to transmit to them. However, measuring devices installed there provide an insight into the interference and the data can be viewed online. The frequency band used for the 5G network is clearly visible at 800 MHz, but this is outside the regulated frequency range. However, if you select a summer day at the top left – only then do the cruise ships come to Ny-Ålesund for their short visits – and view the data from the antenna aimed at the village, the strong signals at three times this value are visible – the so-called third harmonic. These are in the regulated frequency range and cause interference.

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(mho)