Tourists ruin research data on Svalbard

The research station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, has strict rules regarding the use of cellphones to prevent disturbance to instruments and measuring devices at the site. There is so-called radio silence in the settlement and within a 20-kilometer radius around the research station.

In recent years, however, the radio silence has been increasingly disturbed by tourists and cruise ships, according to Svalbardposten. The researchers have long observed a reduction in data quality due to signals from vessels that call in Ny-Ålesund, but the noise issue has increased significantly after the location received 5G mobile coverage two years ago.

"It must be clarified whether Ny-Ålesund should be a tourist destination or a research station," demands Director Johnny Welle of the Norwegian Mapping Authority.

Scientific data from Nu-Ålesund is utilized for socially critical functions, including climate monitoring, mobile telephony, defense, and energy supply.