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Finally a good reason to care about the effects of climate change: it can completely mess up Wi-Fi connections .
Never mind flooding, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes and the extinction of the polar bears, all that pales in comparison to the latest revelation that fluctuations in temperature could affect how far Wi-Fi signals can travel.
According to the UK’s environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, soaring summer temperatures will have a profound effect on Wi-Fi signals, as will the increased heavy rainfall associated with man-made global warming. Rain apparently makes it harder for wifi devices to capture signals.
The WiFi frequency is in the 2.4 GHz range – the S band – and is known to be subject to cluttering from heavy rain and other reflecting objects, though temperature is not thought to have any effect on it according to wireless engineers, so perhaps Ms Spelman is going for dramatic effect with that one.
“£200 billion ($326.72) is expected to be invested in the UK’s infrastructure over the next five years,” said Spelman Speaking to press at Blackfriars Station in London. But, she said, “if the facilities which support our society cannot cope with floods, droughts or freezing winters then that money will have been wasted.”
And people will be forced to use spotty Wi-Fi networks. The horror. Quick, go green before it’s too late!
(Via TechEye and The Daily Telegraph)
