Table of Contents

• Unidata's New Contracts for Data
• The Contract with Alden for FOS Data
• The NIDS-Data Contract with WSI
• Upcoming Dates to Remember
• Establishing the IDD Deployment Schedule
• Internet Data Distribution Principles
• NIDS: What's Included, What it Costs
• Good News! Wind Profiler Network is Back from the Dead
• Ku Band and Other Options for FOS
• Some Information from Alden on the FOS Upgrade
• WetNet Products Available through Unidata Broadcast
• Can I use NIDS data for ____________?
  

Unidata's New Contracts for Data

As most of you already know, two well-known firms, Alden and WSI, were selected as the awardees for contracts to inject real-time weather data products into the Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system for use by Unidata universities. Alden will handle Family of Services (FOS) data, and WSI will inject NEXRAD Information Dissemination System (NIDS) products, both employing Unidata software.

Unidata universities have worked with Alden to acquire FOS data since 1985, but most universities heretofore have not had access to NEXRAD data, so important new education and research opportunities seem likely to arise as the new agreements are implemented. Furthermore, as FOS data formerly were conveyed via satellite transmission, use of Internet as the distribution medium represents a major architectural change in the Unidata system. Both WSI and Alden have been enthusiastic in committing themselves to collaborate with Unidata toward effective use of the Internet in this capacity. At the same time, both offer alternative means of data delivery for colleges and universities where sufficiently capacious or reliable Internet connections are unavailable.

IDD Schedules

In other words, our target for nearly universal IDD system use is the fall semester of the 95-96 academic year, by which time any university may choose to acquire FOS or NIDS via Internet. (A corollary is that your budgets should anticipate continued reliance on other mechanisms for receiving FOS data, such as by satellite or by FTP, through calendar year 1995, and maybe longer if your site has questionable Internet connectivity. See the article on Alden's upcoming change to a Ku-band satellite system on page 11.) Those of you requiring reliable access to NIDS prior the the 95-96 academic year should contact WSI to discuss alternative means for acquiring the needed data.

Data Usage Issues

There also are differences in how FOS and NIDS may be employed by Unidata universities: the Alden contract allows significant flexibility, such as for redistributing FOS data to K-12 schools, while the WSI agreement limits use to the campus and imposes other constraints which we believe are reasonable in the light of current National Weather Service policies on NIDS. Let's look at each contract in more detail.

The Contract with Alden for FOS Data

"No restrictions will be placed on the use of FOS data--over and above those imposed by law or NOAA policy--which will restrict Unidata Universities from using these data in educational and research endeavors that are customary for such institutions."

• "Publication of research results.
• Sharing of data, especially older data, among research associates.
• Campus-wide use of derived products, often with little access control.
• Redistribution of raw text and derived products to (K-12) schools, often with little access control.
• TV broadcasts of forecasts prepared and presented by students."

Data covered by this agreement include the Domestic Data Service, the Public Product Service, the International Data Service, and the High Resolution Data Service (the output from the National Meteorological Center models; this service was formerly called the Numerical Product Service). As noted above, access to DIFAX products is not included.

For contract information on FOS Data Usage contact the Unidata Program Administrator. For product information contact Alden Electronics at 1 800 225-9492.

The NIDS-Data Contract with WSI

The WSI contract provides that where the data are employed only on campus and only for educational, noncommercial purposes, and where the Unidata University puts forth its best effort to inform users of this requirement, the following uses are permitted:

• Publication of research results.
• Sharing of data among research associates.
• Campus-wide viewing of direct and derived products.
• TV broadcasts of forecasts prepared and presented by students.

The on-campus restriction is not imposed on data that are more than 48-hours old.

Other uses, such as in K-12 settings or state networks, may be permitted on a case-by-case basis separately negotiated with WSI. The exact terms and conditions will be based upon the desired use of the data, access controls, and so forth.

Readers should note that their universities' agreements with WSI will provide the definitive statements on costs and appropriate usage. The Unidata contract provides a framework within which we believe most universities (individually) can reach such agreements economically and with reasonable usage permissions, but Unidata will not play an arbitrating or interpreting role. And to the extent that a university negotiates usage permissions outside the framework defined above, subscription costs may exceed the Unidata ceilings.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

• July: If you have decided to go with the new Alden Ku-band satellite delivery technology, the delivery of two-port receivers will begin in July.
• August: Hardware deliveries from Alden for new Ku-multiport (>2) receivers.
• September 1: UPC begins IDD system deployment.
• September 30: End of current Unidata subcontract with Alden for broadcasting the Unidata/Wisconsin channel.
• October 4: NWS begins sending out data at new data rates. (At this time, Alden begins a dual delivery system using both the old C-band and new Ku-band systems.)
• October 31: Unidata/Wisconsin channel subcontract to Alden is up for renewal. (Alden will consider renewing the contract for C-band transmission to run through December 31, but not beyond.)
• November 30: Alden's C-band system is shut down completely.
• September 1, 1994-September 1, 1995: Unidata sites will be brought online with the IDD system in an order determined by IDD-survey results.

Establishing the IDD Deployment Schedule

It starts with your survey.

In order to help plan how the system will be deployed, the UPC has sent a questionnaire to every Unidata site via the community mailing list. The survey information will be vital in determining the order in which sites are added to the IDD system. Sites which don't provide the survey information will necessarily be brought online late in the deployment.

As you should now know, Unidata's Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system is being field tested. In developing the deployment schedule, the UPC will consider a number of factors., such as:

• Topology (geographic location; site's proximity to the Internet backbone and its location in relation to regional network)
• Relationship with the regional provider (the likelihood that a relay system can be installed in the regional network operations center as is being done at Michigan)
• Bandwidth of the network into the site
• Resources available for systems administration
• Hardware available for IDD use
• Local expertise in UNIX and the LDM software
• Willingness to act as a relay node and to help train and consult with other sites

Internet Data Distribution Principles

Editor's note: In April, Dave circulated this document via email to Unidata's Advanced Technical Advisory Committee for comment. The continuing discussion that this draft has stimulated is provocative, and Dave would appreciate further comment from the community at large. You should send your comments to Dave via email as soon as possible, since this document will be discussed at the next Policy Committee meeting June 28 and 29.

The Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system is a means by which Unidata universities can build and keep current their holdings of environmental data, especially those updated in near-real time. IDD is a "distributed application," with interacting components (data sources, data relays and data sinks) at many locations nationwide. Responsibilities for running and maintaining the IDD system also are distributed, on the assumption that proper balances among cost, data needs, performance and flexibility are best achieved through community effort--organized and guided by the Unidata Program Center (UPC)--rather than a more centralized endeavor.

Elaborated in subsequent sections are eight key principles that reflect the above purpose and underly the IDD system design:

1. Data Reception Implies Relay Responsibilities

   Those who receive information via IDD relay data to other Unidata users where practical and needed. Participants generally install components of the IDD system in computer and network settings sufficient to relay all data received to a minimum of one other site. This implies that users constrain their data requests to fall well within the capacities of their computers and networks.

2. The UPC Acquires Data of Very High Interest

   To obtain rates possible only through "bulk purchases" or special agreements with agencies and providers, the UPC acquires widely used data streams for universities. In some cases, universities pay nothing to receive such data; in other cases (where usage is less or bulk purchases impractical) they pay the data providers, but costs are discounted through UPC-negotiated agreements. Unidata acquisition does not imply that the data flow through the UPC; the UPC will not become a data center or hub for IDD.

3. The UPC Chooses Routes for High-Interest Data

   The UPC identifies effective routes for high-interest data from each source to each recipient. Routes are established for both normal and outage conditions, which may occur at any relay. In general, suggested routes are chosen to optimize performance and minimize redundant network traffic; in time, routing may become more dynamic, especially for data (such as from radars) for which demand is intermittent. Routings may be distinct for each data source and even for subsets from a single source. As the IDD system matures, the UPC will make fewer routing decisions and move toward monitoring the system and providing information and automation to simplify users' routing and management decisions.

4. Routing Is Ad Hoc for Data of Lesser Interest

   For data of low to moderate interest, the UPC offers little guidance on routing or other management functions. The exception to this principle is that the UPC discourages sites from handling lesser-interest data in ways that interfere with high-interest data flows. In other words, lesser-interest flows must not consume system and network capacities to the point that significant degradations occur for high-interest data. This principle implies that any organization with adequate system and network capacities may become a provider simply by offering data, and those data become part of the IDD system when one or more Unidata sites chooses to receive them.

5. The High-Interest Category Is Defined by Actual Use

   The classification of data as high interest is determined by actual use as indicated by the number of recipient universities. In consultation with the Unidata Policy and Users Committees, the level at which data becomes high interest is set to accord with resource constraints and other factors.

6. Incentives and Criteria Exist for High-Level Relays

   There are natural incentives to serve as high-level relays (being close to the data sources increases reliability and reduces latency), but not every site can do so effectively. To ensure satisfactory reception at dependent sites, the criteria for high-level relays are quite stringent, especially regarding system and network capacities: top-level relays must feed between five and ten second-level relays, which means they must handle six to eleven times the data volume required to meet local needs. So that there are enough such relays, well maintained and well positioned in respect to the underlying network, Unidata encourages the National Science Foundation to offer additional incentives, such as grants for equipment and other resources targeted to meet this need.

7. The LDM Design Facilitates a Community Endeavor

   The design of the Local Data Manager (LDM) software--on which IDD is based--facilitates adherence to these principles. Beyond offering ease of use and support for local control, LDM software collects statistics on performance and usage, and it eventually will utilize UPC-selected routes by default. The statistics are used to identify high-interest data and to diagnose problems at relay sites. As the LDM matures, routing will become simpler and increasingly automated.

8. The Internet Will Evolve to Simplify the IDD

   The IDD system gains capacity and economy by exploiting new Internet services and capabilities as they materialize. Of particular note will be the provision by the networks of point-to-multipoint transmission services. These services may make relays and UPC-selected data routes unnecessary, in which case Unidata likely will focus attention on data recovery and retrospective data-access methods. These will be necessary because multicast services are unlikely to provide full reliability.

NIDS: What's Included, What It Costs

by Linda Miller, External Programs Coordinator at the Unidata Progam Center

Under Unidata's contract with WSI, Unidata universities may receive a range of NIDS products (see "Can I use NIDS data for _____? " for information on how these data may be used). WSI has grouped the products into four types of service, and Unidata has negotiated a ceiling price for each option. There are six subscription options, outlined in Table 1.

*******************************************************************************
           Table 1: Data delivery services available from WSI
                       under the Unidata contract

SERVICE                           DESCRIPTION                      COST CEILING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tier I             The entire suite of products from one NEXRAD      $100/month
                          site at a designated location
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tier II            The entire suite of products from a single        $175/month
                        (changeable location) NEXRAD site
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tier III           The entire suite of products from all NEXRAD      $575/month
                                       sites
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tier IV            A special floater service featuring NIDS           $50/month
                   products. A Unidata designee selects up to three
                   sites where severe weather is occuring. (This is
                   an optional add-on to Tiers I and II; it cannot
                   be purchased separately.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXRAD Mosaic      A high-quality mosaic created using both auto-    $195/month
                   mated processing techniques and manual valida-
                   tion and which includes relevant WSR 57/74 radars
                   as well as WSR-88D
*******************************************************************************

NIDS products

Tables 2a and 2b, reproduced from the July 93 Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, list the specifications for products available from WSR-88D systems. (Note: these tables are roughly 8 by 10 inches in size.)

WSR-88D data levels

Table 3 (approx. 8 by 10 inches) lists the Level III products in clear-air and precipitation modes from each WSR-88D system.

Data archive

Be prepared

Good News! Wind Profiler Network is Back from the Dead

There are no longer any plans to cease operation of the Wind Profiler Demonstration Network (WPDN) in October 1994. In a National Research Council meeting on the National Weather Service (NWS) modernization in Boulder, Colorado on May 25, Bob Landis, Assistant Administrator for Operations of NWS, and Alan Thomas, Director of NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories, announced that the WPDN would continue to operate during FY1995. In addition, the network has already been budgeted for FY1996.

Ku Band and Other Options for FOS

Editor's note: In mid-May, Alden Electronics informed the Unidata community of its decision to upgrade its satellite broadcast system from the current C-band system to a Ku-band system. The upgrading process is scheduled to begin in July. As the letter noted, sites leasing C-band equipment from Alden will have the equipment replaced at no cost; sites owning their own equipment would need to replace it at their own expense. This decision has caused some consternation within the community. Below are two responses to these concerns.

It must be painfully evident to most of you that the timing of upcoming changes in the Family of Services (FOS), and the resultant equipment upgrades needed for continued receipt of these data from Alden, is problematic in relation to Unidata's transition to Internet data delivery. My purpose here is to illuminate the problem and clarify your options for coping.

I begin by describing the situation we face:

• The National Weather Service (NWS) is increasing several of the FOS data rates, and the (current) slower speed versions of these services will be unavailable after October of this year.
• The C-band satellite system presently used by Alden to convey FOS data (and the Wisconsin channel) to Unidata sites employs outdated technology and has insufficient capacity for the new data rates.
• In response, Alden is requiring all customers to switch from C-band equipment to Ku-band systems by December 1st in order to continue data reception via satellite. (In some cases, existing antennae may be used, but other parts must be changed out entirely.)
• Internet Data Delivery (IDD)-- which we are developing to provide free access to FOS data (minus DIFAX) without need for any satellite reception gear--likely will not be fully deployed until the following academic year, nine months or more after the cutoff.
• Thus, Unidata users face a dilemma: when we succeed with IDD, the Ku-band equipment may be of little value (except possibly for DIFAX reception); on the other hand, failure to obtain this gear may result in a long disruption of service.

At the Unidata Program Center, we have wrestled hard with this problem and considered many alternatives, including:

• A: Accelerating the IDD deployment by reducing or eliminating phases or taking other steps.
• B: Paying Alden to extend the C-band service for several months.

Therefore, the options available appear to be as follows:

1. [I recognize that this will be unacceptable for most.] You may live without data from December 1st until you are connected successfully to the IDD. This option would allow you to set aside funds that could be applied toward improving your capabilities (networks, UNIX computers, etc.) for Internet data reception. It may be a viable option for early users of the IDD (such as the test sites) who are willing to accept the risk of frequent data loss whenever the inevitable wrinkles are encountered in such a new system.
2. You may work with any of several companies (such as Alden, Kavouras, Unisys, and WSI) to provide a non-Internet mode of data delivery that can be interfaced to your Unidata LDM; in general, this means that data must be conveyed to you in exactly the same form as they are transmitted by the NWS. The advantage of this approach is that it should provide a reliable means for bridging the gap to full IDD service without requiring you to change your Unidata software or procedures. The aforementioned switch to Alden's Ku-band is one such option, and it is the only one which assures uninterrupted access to the Unidata/Wisconsin channel--we intend to amend our Alden contract to convey the Wisconsin channel on their new Ku-band system until the IDD is fully deployed.
3. You may also find some of these vendors willing to provide data via the Internet prior to full IDD implementation. For example, you may be able to acquire data economically via FTP or some other means. However, such forms of access are unlikely to work seamlessly with Unidata software.

Note to DIFAX users: Options 2 and 3 both allow continued access to DIFAX. The IDD may eventually deliver DIFAX, as suggested in the following note from Alden, but we do not know when this service will become available.

I hope you find this information helpful, and I beg your patience as we put forth our best effort to construct a reliable IDD system that will deliver FOS and Wisconsin data at no cost to universities beyond that of maintaining a good Internet connection. By a good connection, I mean one with sufficient capacity to meet your own needs and to allow you to be a good neighbor, relaying data to other members of our community.

Some Information from Alden on the FOS Upgrade

Alden has prepared the following information in a question-and-answer format. This information is about the FOS upgrade and Alden's choice of new technology to support this upgrade.

Q: Why is Alden upgrading the satellite receiving equipment?

A: At an NWS-sponsored meeting in January of this year at the American Meteorological Society Conference, Alden was told that the NWS would upgrade the FOS data rates. The current rates of the International Data Service (2.4 Kb/s), Public Products Service (2.4 Kb/s), and Domestic Data Service (2.4 Kb/s) would all be increased to 9.6 Kb/s. The NWS decided that this increase was required because the data at peak loading times was exceeding a predetermined value, and traffic was backing up an unacceptable amount. This increase in data rates is a three-fold increase and requires a sizable addition to the bandwidth required to broadcast the data via satellite.

The current receivers, which lasted more than 10 years, and used to receive the data on both C-band and Ku-band, are not upgradeable to support the higher data rates mandated by the NWS.

Alden has chosen state-of-the-art technology that should meet your data needs going forward. Each channel and receiver data port can handle up to 512 Kb/s.

Q: What effect will this upgrade have on me and my equipment?

A: The answer will depend on a number of factors:

• If you are a current Ku-band customer, the only action required is to replace your current receiver with a new unit. The satellite we will be using for the transmission of data will stay the same. The antenna alignment is untouched.
• If you are a current C-band user, and you have a solid dish antenna, in most cases you will only need to replace the LNB and the feedhorn assembly on the antenna. The antenna will then need to be pointed toward the proper satellite, and you will need a new receiver.
• If you are a current C-band user only and you have a mesh dish, you will have to replace the entire system: antenna and receiver.

Our customer representatives will contact you about your equipment needs to evaluate the most time- and cost-effective way to do the upgrade.

Q: Will the fees charged for data streams be changed?

A: Alden is not planning to change the current fee schedule for the data streams at this time, unless you are not being charged at our current prices.

Q: What technology has Alden chosen?

A: The FM3 technology was chosen because it is the most cost-effective method of transmitting the data to you, our customer. With this new technology we will be able to continue to provide you with low-cost, highly reliable data services.

The new system will use FM3 technology. This technology is proprietary to Space Com Systems, Inc. It is a term they use for their broadcast of data using a time-division multiplexing scheme. The current technology utilizes frequency- division multiplexing for its transmission method. This new FM3 technology uses Ku-band exclusively as the transmission medium, which is the reason that the C-band users must transition to Ku-band.

The new receiver will be 15 in. x 10 in. x 1.75 in. This receiver will have the capability to receive one or two data streams. An expansion chassis will be offered that will allow a customer to receive up to eight additional data services. This brings to ten the number of data services that one customer may receive without buying a new receiver. Another benefit is that the incremental price to upgrade to a new service is very reasonable.

Q: When will the Internet Data Distribution (IDD) be a reality?

A: Our Unidata partners are predicting that the IDD will be ready at this time next year. Alden must respond to the NWS upgrade of the FOS data rates, as the old data rates will no longer be available after November 1994. Alden is taking this opportunity to put in place state-of-the-art technology. This upgrade will satisfy the data transmission and reception requirements well into the future.

Q: Will the High Resolution Data Service (HRS) increase in baud rate?

A: The NWS is in the process of determining if they have the capability to increase the HRS data stream to 56 Kb/s. This increase will be the second in a one-year period for the HRS data stream. The last change in this data stream was from 4.8 Kb/s to 19.2 Kb/s. When this change took place, Alden changed the format from synchronous to asynchronous so it would not be necessary to purchase expensive hardware to receive this type of data stream. Right now, we must await the decision of the NWS as to the increased baud rate on HRS. The impetus for the change to this data stream is to accommodate the new Rapid Update Cycle products expected to be available in the late fall or early winter of this year.

To prepare for this potential increase to 56 Kb/s, Alden would like to hear from all of its HRS customers as to their preference should this increase take place. Would you like to see us maintain a 19.2 Kb/s service by leaving out the new products? Would you like to see 56 Kb/s service with all the new products? Are there other alternatives to consider? Please relay your thoughts to your customer representative.

Q: Will my equipment be able to ingest the data at the higher baud rates?

A: The answer to this cannot be universal. Many factors will decide if the hardware/software products you are using to receive/display the information will accommodate the new and increased data rates. Alden is vigorously pursuing answers to these questions and your customer representatives can discuss your particular needs with you.

Q: Will D+ be available and what will the data rates for this service be?

A: Alden will continue to support D+. The baud rate for this service will increase from 4.8 Kb/s to 19.2 Kb/s.

Q: The system that Alden is now using is broadcast on both C-band and Ku-band. We understand that the new system will only be on Ku-band. Can you tell us why you are changing and what impact this will have on our reception? We are especially concerned about rain fade.

A: Both broadcast technologies--C-band and Ku-band--have problems with reception under certain conditions. C-band reception is more susceptible to terrestrial interference than is Ku-band. This makes using C-band more difficult in areas where there may be a lot of interference, as in large cities, for example. Ku-band equipment does not suffer from this interference problem, but does suffer from rain fade. Neither system is perfect. FM3 is an improvement over FM2 in the Ku-band transmission. The technology used in the FM3 lessens the impact of rain fade by using a higher powered signal to blast through the rain column. This provides a usable signal to the receiver for a longer period prior to and just after the heaviest rain fade occurs, so that the amount of time you are experiencing rain fade is minimized. Also, Alden has chosen to provide a 1.2-meter dish versus a standard .75-meter dish to improve the signal strength to the receiver to minimize rain fade. The average customer will experience rain fade on the order of minutes out of a year.

Q: Where is the new satellite relative to our existing satellite?

A: If you are currently a Ku-band customer there will be no change in the antenna pointing. The same satellite will be used for both technologies.

If you are a C-band customer, the new satellite is located at 99 degrees longitude versus the C-band satellite that is at 87 degrees longitude. Customers in the eastern half of the US must point their antennas slightly (less than 10 degrees) below the current angle; those in the western part of the country will need to make only small changes (a degree or two).

Q: What is the schedule of significant events?

A: The following is a list of significant events as currently planned for action by Alden:

• May 6, 1994 Issue order for equipment (completed)
• May 31, 1994 Finalize Space Segment requirements
• July 5, 1994-August 30, 1994 Delivery and installation (where needed) of hardware units to customers
• October 4, 1994 NWS begins broadcasting at dual baud rates
• December 5, 1994 Alden's Total System operational with new hardware and data rates; old network terminated.

Our customer representatives are here to help. You will be hearing directly from them, but meanwhile, if you have a question, call them toll free at 800-225-9492.

Alden Electronics, Inc.
40 Washington Street
Westborough, MA 01581

WetNet Products Available through Unidata Broadcast

WetNet's data are from the polar-orbiting SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) on the Air Force's DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) satellites. WetNet produces brightness temperatures from the instrument's seven channels in both full-resolution "swaths" and reduced-resolution, global-composite "browse" images. There are also seven derived geophysical products produced daily in the browse format. These are rain rate, total precipitable water, cloud liquid water, marine wind speed, land classification, land surface temperature, and sea-ice fraction. WetNet will be making all of these products (except rain rate) available to the Unidata community through the Unidata/Wisconsin channel broadcasts.

For more information on the WetNet project, read "The WetNet Project," to be published in Remote Sensing Reviews, Volume 11 (in press).

Can I use NIDS data for ____________?

WSI clears up the picture.

1. May I use the data in real time in my classroom (wherever that classroom is situated)?

   WSI: There are no restrictions on campus-wide use of real time derived data products as long as they are used for educational, noncommercial purposes only.

2. May I provide the data to other departments on my campus?

   WSI: Yes. The sharing of data to departments on campus is permitted as long as they are used for educational, noncommercial purposes only.

3. May I use the data to create displays in near-real time for distribution to other departments on my campus?

   WSI: Yes. The creating of data displays in near-real time for distribution to other departments is permitted as long as they are used for educational, noncommercial purposes only.

4. May I use the data to create displays in real time for distribution to public schools (K-12) in my state?

   WSI: No. Data are restricted to users within the Unidata university only.

5. May I provide the data on an FTP server, where others may come to retrieve it?

   WSI: Yes, as long as ``others'' are limited to on-campus users only. No other users (i.e., the general community) are allowed to access the data. All usage is limited to educational, noncommercial purposes only.

6. May I use the data to create displays in near-real time for distribution via servers such as FTP, Gopher, and World Wide Web?

   WSI: (see question 5) Users may not create near-real time displays and make them available for distribution via FTP, Gopher, or World Wide Web to people beyond the campus. However, original data products which are at least 48-hours old may be distributed on FTP, Gopher, or World Wide Web. In this case, the data must be stamped with a WSI logo giving WSI Corporation credit for the data.

7. May I use the data in articles for peer-reviewed journals?

   WSI: Yes, as long as the data are at least 48-hours old they may be used in articles for peer-reviewed journals. The data must be stamped with a WSI logo giving WSI Corporation credit for the data.

8. May I use the data in articles for which I get paid (i.e., appearing in "popular" magazines such as Weather Watch)?

   WSI: Yes, as long as the data are at least 48-hours old they may be used in such articles. The data must be stamped with a WSI logo giving WSI Corporation credit for the data.

9. May my students use the data in forecasts for campus news media (newspapers, television stations)?

   WSI: Yes. However, only Unidata-university students may use the data for on-campus TV broadcasting of forecasts.

10. May my students use the data in forecasts for media off campus (i.e., local papers, local television stations)?

    WSI: No. This is considered commercial use of data and is not allowed.

11. As a consultant, may I use the data to create displays or forecasts in real time for my clients?

    WSI: No. This is considered commercial use of data and is not allowed.

12. As a consultant, may I use the data to create delayed displays? If so, how long must use be delayed.

    WSI: Yes, you may use the data to create delayed displays. However, the data must be at least 48-hours old and must be stamped with a WSI logo giving WSI Corporation credit for the data.

13. If there is a delay before I can provide products to others, what is that delay? What is that delay for educational purposes? What is the delay for "for-profit" purposes (see question 11)?

    WSI: There are no restrictions on data used for educational purposes on campus. Data being distributed beyond the receiving campus must be at least 48-hours old and must be stamped with a WSI logo giving WSI Corporation credit for the data. Regarding providing products to "for-profit" organizations, users must consult WSI directly. WSI will make a decision on a case-by-case basis. The exact terms and conditions will be based upon the desired use of the data, access controls, etc.