Help In These Times raise $10,000 in three weeks! Donate now to support original and incisive journalism!

Wireless to the People

By Megan Tady

I’m no football fan, but I paid close attention to Saturday’s preseason showdown between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills – not for what was happening in the game, but was happening at the game. The Federal Communications Commission used the stadium to test mobile wireless devices that harness vacant portions of the public airwaves. To me, the results of… return to article

  • subscribe to print magazine

  • Zoom OutZoom In Reader Comments (3)

    Page 1 of 1 pages

    How do we inform folks in the country sides that THE WASHINGTON LOBBYISTS BULLDOGS is trying to shut them out of the digital age?

    United States Posted by zsaheed on Aug 12, 2008 at 7:58 PM

    One crucial thing that Ms. Tady doesn’t discuss—in this article nor in last month’s re Philadelphia’s wi-fi—is the issue of potential harmful health effects from ongoing ambient exposure to low-frequency radio frequency radiation such as that posed by wi-fi.  There are significant indications that our ever-increasing exposure to wireless transmissions, along with those from cellular communications, may eventually manifest as a public health nightmare on the scale of cigarette smoking.  Of course, the industry—along with our federal agencies—proclaims this level of radiation as safe for human health, ignoring the question of cumulative exposure and DNA damage; no extensive, independent longterm studies have ever been done.  A good place to begin exploring this issue is by checking out the report released in 2007 by a team of top international scientists, at www.bioinitiative.org.

    When wi-fi type signals penetrate walls (e.g.., wi-max), they expose all of us (incl. our children) indiscriminately, and there’s no way to opt out.  That, in my estimation, cannot be called “democracy” or “progressive”.  What’s needed instead is a civic broadband system using advanced fiber optics to transmit the signal to and from households that want it; of course, that costs a lot more money, but provides the opportunity to also offer competitve cable TV options and receive revenue to help pay for the system.  It’s time to take a longer-time horizon, more precautionary, approach to this and other new technologies, so we don’t one day regret our shortsighted decisions.
          Alexander Binik, Exec. Director, DE-Toxics Institute, Fairfax, CA

    United States Posted by alexanderb on Aug 12, 2008 at 9:32 PM

    oops! someone seems unaware of the healthdangers of wi-fi.
    while it’s being banned or removed in some other countries, especially near schools, our country is trying to impose it . how backward.
    i would consider myself lucky to live where there was no wi-fi, but all i could do was throw the router out and plug my laptop in,

    Germany Posted by cilantro on Aug 17, 2008 at 8:46 AM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

  • register a new account »Posting Security

    To participate in our forums, please register for a free account.
     

    Retreive lost password »

Popular Discussions