The GSMA wants governments and regulators to work more closely with mobile operators to help protect networks against growing risks from extreme weather. As the global body representing the mobile network industry, the GSMA claims that severe storms and floods already cost operators $1. 7 billion annually to repair damage to cell radio sites, and it believes that figure could nearly double to more than $3 billion a year by 2050, under the climate conditions expected then. The GSMA sets out its findings in a six-part research series, Futureproofing Connectivity: Climate Risk and Resilience in Telecommunications , alongside a separate document outlining its Policy Principles for Mobile Network Resilience . The report identifies weather-related risks that can affect telecoms networks, along with the associated restoration costs. Towers, masts, and rooftop sites are particularly exposed to wind and storms or lightning, for example, while ground-level equipment at mobile sites can be inundated in flooding incidents. High temperatures can cause radio equipment to overheat, while heavy rain can degrade wireless signal strength, and infrastructure in coastal locations may be exposed to storm surges. However, the report fingers the electricity supply as the biggest vulnerability. If that gets knocked out, the network could go offline once any backup power is exhausted, which may take anywhere from a few hours to considerably longer, depending on the site. Under current climate conditions, the cost of damage to cell sites is estimated at $1 billion associated with severe storms, while river and coastal floods account for $577 million and $124 million, respectively. Based on projected mid-century climate conditions, the GSMA expects costs due to severe storms to rise significantly to about $2. 37 billion, accounting for three-quarters of all damage. The report asserts that cell network resilience requires a whole ecosystem approach, pointing out that if severe weather impacts power networks, then that also affects the telecoms infrastructure…