Hydrometeorological Monitoring using Microwave Links from Cellular Communication Networks: Opportunities and Challenges

Microwave links from cellular communication networks have been proposed as an opportunistic source of precipitation data more than two decades ago. The first scientific studies demonstrating the potential of this ground-based remote sensing technique, in particular for areas around the world lacking dedicated rainfall observation networks, were published more than 15 years ago. Since then, a small but dedicated community of scientists and engineers working at universities, national meteorological services, engineering firms, mobile network operators and telecommunication equipment manufacturers has been making significant progress in turning this promise into a reality. In the meantime, numerous papers and reports have been published, conference presentations have been given and courses have been delivered. However, real-time access to high-resolution rainfall information from commercial microwave link networks over large continental areas is still a dream. How far have we come after more than 20 years of research and development? What does the future have in stall for the hydrological and meteorological communities? What should be done to turn this dream into a reality? Finally, which other hydrometeorologically relevant variables could potentially be retrieved using received signal levels from commercial microwave links? This sollicited presentation will attempt to provide some preliminary answers to these questions.