China Allocates Additional P-Band Radio Spectrum to Upgrade Weather Sounding Systems

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has allocated additional radio frequency resources in the P-band (400 MHz) to meteorological authorities for technical trials of its Beidou satellite-enabled sounding system. The move aims to enhance high-altitude meteorological observations during extreme weather events, flood seasons, and typhoons. By utilizing Beidou navigation and frequency multiplexing, the indigenous P-band system improves high-altitude wind measurement accuracy by an order of magnitude compared to legacy L-band radar tracking.

Accurate and high-resolution upper-air meteorological data is essential for forecasting short-term torrential rain, tracking typhoons, and issuing timely flood warnings. Allocating additional P-band frequencies removes transmission bottlenecks during dense backup balloon launches and intensive observation campaigns, directly boosting disaster mitigation and climate response capabilities.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has allocated additional P-band radio frequency resources to the country's meteorological departments to support operational technical trials of its Beidou satellite-enabled sounding system, state media reported. The expanded spectrum allocation is designed to strengthen national capabilities in forecasting and managing severe weather conditions. According to reports, the additional 400 MHz band frequencies will support technical trials involving backup balloon launches under extreme weather, intensified observations during flood seasons, and constant-level balloon monitoring. MIIT previously planned P-band spectrum resources for the Beidou-based meteorological sounding system in 2023, providing regulatory guidance to local weather bureaus on standardizing ground receiving stations and observation posts. The system supports short-term precipitation forecasting, typhoon tracking, fine-scale intelligent grid predictions, and synoptic weather analysis. The P-band sounding system is an indigenously developed upper-air observation platform that leverages the Beidou Navigation Satellite System. Compared to traditional L-band (1.6 GHz) sounding systems that rely on ground radar positioning, the Beidou-based P-band architecture features lower signal propagation loss and higher link reliability. Officials report that it improves high-altitude wind measurement accuracy by one order of magnitude while enhancing the spatio-temporal resolution of meteorological parameters. To optimize spectrum efficiency, the system implements a combined space-division and frequency-division multiplexing model. An official from MIIT's Radio Regulation Bureau stated that the ministry will continue to align radio frequency resources with the operational requirements of weather forecasting and disaster prevention.