5G, Cell Towers, & Your Health

How the FCC Shields Cellphone Companies from Safety Concerns as 5G Expands

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has responsibility for protecting Americans from potential radiation hazards generated by wireless transmitters and cellphones, has repeatedly sided with the telecom industry in denying the possibility of virtually any human harm. The standards were set in 1996 and have not been updated. In 2018, a massive, nearly-two-decade study by the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, found “clear evidence” that cellphone radiation caused cancer in lab animals. Nonetheless, federal law and FCC rules are so aligned with the industry that state and local governments are essentially barred from taking action to block cell towers to protect the health of their citizens, even as companies may sue any government that tries to take such an action.5G operations require an estimated 800,000 new base stations, including both towers and densely spaced “small cell” transmitters mounted on rooftops and street poles. The current number of transmitters will be nearly tripled, and many of them will be placed close to houses and apartments.

The health complaints started rolling in within weeks of the activation of a new cellphone tower in August 2020 in Pittsfield, an old factory town in Massachusetts’ Berkshire Mountains. Seventeen residents reported headaches, dizziness, insomnia or confusion. A few children had to sleep with “vomit buckets” by their beds.

Like many people, Bobbie Orsi had never paid close attention to questions about the health effects of cellphone technology. She mostly viewed it as an issue that had long ago been put to rest. But after becoming the chair of Pittsfield’s Board of Health as the complaints emerged, Orsi, a 66-year-old registered nurse who had spent much of her career in public health, decided to educate herself. She combed through a stack of research studies. She watched webinars. She grilled a dozen scientists and doctors.

Over several months, Orsi went from curious, to concerned, to convinced, first, that radio-frequency emissions from Verizon’s 115-foot 4G tower were to blame for the problems in Pittsfield, and second, that growing evidence of harm from cellphones — everything from effects on fertility and fetal development to associations with cancer — has been downplayed in the United States.

Orsi and the Pittsfield board decided to try to do something about Verizon’s tower. They quickly discovered that they would get no help from federal regulators. The Federal Communications Commission, which has responsibility for protecting Americans from potential radiation hazards generated by wireless transmitters and cellphones, has repeatedly sided with the telecom industry in denying the possibility of virtually any human harm.

Worse, from Orsi’s perspective, federal law and FCC rules are so aligned with the industry that state and local governments are barred from taking action to block cell towers to protect the health of their citizens, even as companies are explicitly empowered to sue any government that tries to take such an action. It turned out that Verizon, in such matters, has more legal rights than the people of Pittsfield.

Still, the lawyers for Orsi and her colleagues thought they saw a long-shot legal opening: They would argue that the FCC’s exclusive oversight role applied only to approving cell tower sites, not to health problems triggered after one was built and its transmitters switched on. In April 2022, the Pittsfield Health Board issued an emergency cease-and-desist order directing Verizon to shut down the tower as a “public nuisance” and “cause of sickness” that “renders dwellings unfit for human habitation.” (Several families had abandoned their homes.) The order was the first of its kind in the country. It was, Orsi said, “a gutsy move — maybe naively gutsy.

Read full article here…

from:    https://needtoknow.news/2022/11/how-the-fcc-shields-cellphone-companies-from-safety-concerns-as-5g-expands/

5G — Bad Idea

“What If the Pentagon Skipped 5G?” The Dep’t of Defense Doesn’t Want It and They Aren’t Alone

By B.N. Frank

An increasing number of Americans including doctors, scientists, engineers, public advocates, and elected officials oppose 5G (see 1. 2, 3, 4).  The Department of Defense also opposes it because they say it really-really-really threatens national security (see 1, 2, 3, 4).  They’ve actually been saying that since last year.  Did you know?  So why on Earth would Americans want to deliberately threaten our national security?  Recently, some Congress members finally stepped in about DoD opposition and there was a hearing.

Thanks to Defense One for publishing an article that asks “What if the Pentagon Skipped 5G?”

The answer to the headaches and security risks of next-generation mobile communications just might be a technological leap past them.

It’s round one of a WWE-equivalent policy fight, and the Federal Communications Commission has beat the Pentagon. Against DoD objections, the FCC approved a license modification for Ligado Networks to establish a new 5G communications service last month. And while some Trump administration senior officials hailed this as a boon to U.S. firms vying to build the world’s 5G networks, others rightly argue that it imperils national security.

[…]

The solution — next-gen networking without Huawei and without undermining GPS  — may lie in yet another nascent technology. O-RAN, a software-driven network protocol that promises even faster and more secure mobile communications, is attracting private and Congressional interest. But if the Pentagon wants to hasten O-RAN’s arrival, and head off disruption, it needs to act, and fast.

Read full article

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is supposed to protect the public by regulating the telecom industry.  They were considered to be a corrupt and “captured” agency before Trump was elected.  They have become much scarier and opportunistic during his administration.  Despite opposition and warnings, they are using the pandemic as an excuse to speed up 5G installation (see 1, 2. 3, 4, 5).  This includes launching tens of thousands of satellites with millions of antennas to blast 5G and WiFi at us from space (see 1, 2, 3)!

Lawsuits have been filed against them for NOT protecting Americans from unsafe levels of radiation (see 1, 2) and of course, 5G (see 1, 2, 3).

5G opposition in the U.S. and worldwide continues to grow because of risks to biological health (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), cybersecurity (see 1, 2), environmental health (see 1, 2, 3, 4), privacy (see 1, 2), and more.  Many cities and countries have taken action against it including banning it, issuing moratoriums, passing ordinances, etc. (see 1, 2).

A long list of highly respected people and organizations – including the Department of Defense – continues to say 5G isn’t worth it.  The FCC continues to ignore them.  What’s wrong with this picture?

Activist Post reports regularly about 5G and other unsafe technology.  For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:

from:   https://www.activistpost.com/2020/05/what-if-the-pentagon-skipped-5g-the-dept-of-defense-doesnt-want-it-and-they-arent-alone.html

Radio Stations Available

Thousands of Radio Stations Up for Grabs—One Could Be Yours

This is the largest expansion of community radio in U.S. history. It’s also the biggest—and maybe the last—chance for grassroots groups to get on air.
posted Jun 18, 2013

Nonprofits, labor unions, and community groups have a one-time-only chance this year to own the broadcast airwaves. The FCC has just released free applications for thousands of new noncommercial FM radio licenses. These community radio stations can reach listeners in a radius of 2 to 10 miles, and generate their broadcast signal on just 100 watts—the amount of power consumed by a light bulb.

If you’re interested in starting a station or supporting others to get on air, now is the time to do it.

In some cities—like Chicago, Miami, and Philadelphia—a single low power FM station could reach more than 100,000 listeners. Across the country, millions of people will be tuning into these new stations as they go on air over the next few years. Integrating new technology like video and web streaming could give these local radio stations global multimedia reach.

This is the largest expansion of community radio in United States history. It’s also the biggest chance, and probably the final major opportunity, for grassroots groups to get on air.

Radio, photo by Three Sixteen
FCC Applications Available Now!

Prometheus Radio Project, a Philly-based nonprofit where I serve as national organizer, has led a 15-year campaign to challenge corporate control of the media and open up this space on the dial. If you’re potentially interested in starting a station or supporting others to get on air, we want you to sign up for updates. We’ll help you navigate the FCC process, and connect you with resources, training materials, and others in your area who you could collaborate with.

We are supporting hundreds of groups to build community radio stations across the country. We’re working with some big partners—like the NAACP, Greenpeace, the National Council of La Raza, and the Communications Workers of America—to get the word out to their constituencies. Prometheus has already helped hundreds of groups, including the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to build stations as tools for social justice organizing and community expression. We’re ready to help more groups get on air.

As the billionaire Koch brothers plan to buy up more of the nation’s media to push their right-wing agenda, now is the time to build progressive media. And with the Internet dominated by large corporations working with government spy agencies like the NSA, radio is a strategic tool for movements and advocates to add to their communications toolbox.

from:    http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/community-radio