The problem, Lopatka identifies, is that radio spectrum is already widely-used, and 5G licenses granted in the US have approved the use of wavelengths that are close to those used for essential scientific and technical applications.
He says technologies threatened are satellites that measure water vapour, altimeters that record an airplaneās vertical position, and instruments that the private and public sector rely on for GPS navigation.
The neighbouring chunks of spectrum are close enough that the 5G signal power may bleed into nearby bands and cause signal interference, especially when 5G activity ramps up, he added.
Physics Today identifies 5G pinch points between the new communication standard and several key scientific and technical applications (infographic below:)
This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 30 May 2022.