Cellular Antennas

Facts about the technology and related policies

by Tamara Dyer

Industrial Technology: Cell antennas are an industrial technology. They do not marry well with the character of a residential community.

Health Impacts: Constant long-term exposure to low-level oscillating radiofrequencies causes biological change. Cellular technology emits constant low-level oscillating radiofrequency radiation. If you live or work near a cell antenna you are being subjected to this type of radiation. The more you depend on cell phone technology, the more cell antennas need to be installed in your neighborhood.

Cell Companies Could Cooperate: Cellular providers all choose to act independently. And, they do so for greater financial profit. Unfortunately, because of this, each company has to have its own antennas. That means that in a neighborhood where there might have been one set of antennas shared between 5 providers, there are now 5 sets of antennas, resulting in unsightly and unhealthy "antenna farms" in urban neighborhoods.

Consolidation of the Cell Industry: There will likely continue to be fewer and fewer cellular providers. And, it is widely known that cell companies like to fatten up their portfolios before going on the market. That means getting antennas up anywhere, as fast as possible, as cheaply as possible.

Accountability: Policy needs to be established at the city level to make the cellular industry accountable.

Federal Law: In advance of the public outcry that would ensue when public frequencies were sold to the corporate sector in the mid 90s, federal law was quickly established preventing state and local governments from regulating the placement, construction and modification of cellular facilities based on the environmental effects of radiofrequency emissions. However, it is totally within the law for state and local governments to regulate the placement, construction and modification of cellular facilities based on zoning restrictions or any other issue outside of environmental effects of radiofrequency emissions.

Federal Law also mandates that cellular providers be allowed to meet the needs of cellular phone customers. However, antennas are not always installed to meet need. As stated above, there is tremendous financial incentive for cell providers to install more antennas than are required to meet the needs of cell phone users. Furthermore, cellular providers are not currently required to prove need in a manner that is understandable to concerned parties. It is totally within the letter of the law for local governments to mandate that cellular providers demonstrate need in a clear and comprehensible manner. Doing so would make it clear which antenna projects are necessary and which are not.

Current Policy Developed to Accommodate Industry: To our knowledge, an independent consultant versed in the field of RF radiation and cellular technologies has never been involved in the creation of city policy regarding cell antenna siting. All city policy regarding this issue is based upon information supplied by the cellular industry itself. This is in no way objective or responsible. It is, however, reflective of a government interested in accommodating industry over neighborhoods.

Seattle and other urban areas of our state desperately need new cell antenna siting policies.

The proliferation of electronic polllution could be as much of a threat to life on this planet as global warming, but as our economy becomes increasingly based on unlimited electronic access, it's going to take a lot of effort to convince governments to deal with this issue. By simply learning more about the relationship between cell technology and biological health, you have improved the outlook for our future. Please share this information with your family and friends. Your Voice is Needed!

To get involved in local efforts to improve antenna policy please contact the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice at (206) 720-0285. Additionally, the website www.emrnetwork.org is an invaluable resource for information regarding health impacts and cellular technology.