Wi-Fi fears for school children

Andrew White, aged 16, with his laptop in Norwich, a wi-fi hotspot.

24 November 2006 09:41

Council bosses who pioneered Norwich as a Wi-Fi hotspot have today allayed fears that the wireless computer networks could damage people's health.

Campaigners have for years called for no more mobile phone masts to be built near schools or homes because it has not been proved they are not harmful to health.

And now concern has been raised as to whether the low levels of radiation emitted by transmitters used in the wireless technology could be harmful to health.

Norwich North MP Ian Gibson has called for more research to be conducted into potential dangers after parent power forced some schools elsewhere in the country to ditch the wireless networks.

He said: “We need a departmental inquiry into this situation. The Department of Health should be looking into it seriously. What we really need is another inquiry like the William Stewart report into mobile phone masts.”

The health scare comes at a time when the city is leading the way with the technology. In August the £1.1m Norfolk Open Link project was launched in the city.

The two-year pilot project, managed by Norfolk County Council and funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), means people can get free broadband internet access.

It covers most of the city centre as well as key sites such as UEA, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Norwich Science Park.

More than 200 small aerials have been fixed to lampposts to create the network, with the main internet connection on top of County Hall.

Kurt Frary, Norfolk Open Link project manager at Norfolk County Council, said: “The technology used for Norfolk Openlink is similar to that used in some modern mobile phones and laptops and it has been well received by people in Norwich. All aerials are sited high on lampposts and buildings so that they are at least 30cm from the user.”

But in other parts of the country parent power has sparked schools to ditch their wireless networks.

Wi-Fi, your questions answered:

Ü Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity and enables data to be transmitted over a wireless network.

Ü This means people can get a rapid connection to the internet without the need for cables.

Ü It works using antennae to create Wi-Fi hotspots. These hotspots receive radiowaves which are then encoded and sent to Wi-Fi compatible equipment such as computers and mobile telephones.

Ü Norfolk Open Link is the first large-scale community wireless network of this type in the UK to use lamp posts to host over 200 access points.

Ü The network features more than 200 small Telabria APM 300 aerials, fixed to existing street furniture and buildings, mostly lampposts so that no masts have been needed.

Ü Each aerial has a 250m to 300m reception radius.

Ü The aerials feed signals back to “backhaul” sites which then link back to County Hall up to the project's 40mb internet link.

Ü The output power of wireless networks like Norfolk Open Link is very low (0.1 watts) and, as the equipment is not held against the user's head, there is very little exposure to radio wave energy.



Ü Do you know of a school which has banned Wi-Fi? Or are you a parent campaigning to get it banned at the school your children go to? If so telephone Evening News reporter Dan Grimmer on 01603 772375 or email dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk.

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