Hi all,
I agree, the uncertain situation around the SBN is really concerning.
Unfortunately, Unidata has no additional information to add to the
conversation. As far as we are aware, NWS is still developing its future
plans for NOAAPORT/SBN given the migration of AWIPS to a cloud-based
platform. Our contacts are aware of the strong reliance Unidata and its
university community have on the SBN for continued access to real-time
weather data, and we will continue to advocate for open access to these
valuable datasets from our partners in NOAA and NWS.
We absolutely will share more information when we have it, but right now we
do not have any additional clarity on the NWS' plans.
Cheers,
Ryan
-------
Dr. Ryan May
Deputy Director
NSF Unidata
Boulder, CO
On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 3:25 PM Mike Zuranski <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Hi Gilbert and everyone,
>
> I too would like to hear from Unidata on this front.
>
> We've known the tentative end of NOAAPort/SBN has been coming for a while
> in the form of the Raytheon contract ending right about that same time,
> fall 2027. NWS is moving AWIPS into the cloud, as such will not need the
> SBN for WFOs anymore after that. Last I heard there is no on-ramp for
> partners into their cloud system, and I _believe_ the _hope_ was it would
> still stick around for another couple of years... but I have yet to hear
> any sort of mechanism for how that would actually continue.
>
> The best thing you and others in your position can do now is prepare and
> plan ahead for contingencies. Where else can you get data from? Using
> your NEXRAD2 example, that data is available on AWS, so is NEXRAD3, both
> managed by Unidata in fact: https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nexrad/
> As for other data, here's a solid place to start:
> https://www.noaa.gov/nodd/datasets
>
> Actually, if any NWS/NOAA/NODD folks are on here (hello), is there any
> intel on this front that you could share? We would all greatly appreciate
> it I am sure.
>
> Hope everyone is doing well!
>
> Best,
> -Mike
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM Sebenste, Gilbert <sebensteg@xxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>> This month’s edition of TV Technology magazine that I received today was
>> pages and pages of their top story: C-band satellite, all 180 MHZ of it
>> that remains, was being auctioned off to wireless/cell providers in July
>> 2027, and it isn’t coming back once the auction is over. The C-Band
>> spectrum is expected to sell for over $3 billion for 5G and 6G to wireless
>> carriers.
>>
>> Broadcasters, who have used these frequencies reliably for decades to
>> transmit news, entertainment and sporting events around the globe, and the
>> government, transmitting weather data across NOAAport, must get off their
>> channels soon after the auction concludes. Most pay TV networks have
>> switched to IP-based/Internet transmission. Fox Sports, and sports networks
>> had a panel discussion at the recent National Association of Broadcasters
>> (NAB) meeting that was packed to the rafters, with people looking for
>> reliable broadcast transmission solutions. The complaints that Internet
>> delivery is nowhere near as reliable in the “final mile” as satellite
>> transmission is, fell on deaf ears to the FCC. But what about the National
>> Weather Service, NOAA and UNIDATA?
>>
>> While some, and maybe much, has been made of NOAA using AWIPS in the
>> cloud by that time…the same cannot be said for what will happen to .edu’s
>> and .com’s, and others who rely on C-Band for NOAAport data reception. The
>> current FCC mantra is “YOU figure it out how you’ll get that data from
>> point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. ”.
>>
>>
>> We are just over one year out from all of this happening, and I am left
>> in a lurch wondering what is going to happen next year. I want to be
>> prepared. I cannot do this alone. There has been radio silence about this
>> issue, except in UNIDATA annual meeting notes. The train is pulling into
>> the station for cloud and IP-based delivery of data, and when it departs,
>> how is UNIDATA, and how are we, going to be a part of that train?
>>
>> There is also concern about the loss of access to data. I’m hearing
>> rumblings of Level 2 radar data being discontinued from NOMADS in the
>> not-too-distant future. We use that in our classrooms extensively. Our
>> https://weather.cod.edu web site uses the NOAAport feed for much of our
>> data and imagery. I don’t want it to go dark in about a year. Does anyone
>> have any answers at this point as to what will happen, and how this will be
>> handled?
>>
>> With regards,
>>
>> Gilbert Sebenste
>>
>> Meteorology Support Analyst
>>
>>
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