Thank you, Ryan, for the update, I appreciate it!
Gilbert Sebenste
Meteorology Support Analyst
College of DuPage
On Jul 8, 2026, at 6:35 PM, Mike Zuranski <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks for the update, Ryan. Sometimes no news is the news but that's still
good to know.
-Mike
On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 6:56 PM Ryan May <rmay@xxxxxxxx<mailto:rmay@xxxxxxxx>>
wrote:
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<mailto: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<mailto: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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