BT is exposing customers to unnecessary electromagnetic radiation through its network of private home Wi-Fi routers.
All BT Home Hubs are now enabled with a default feature called ‘BT Fon’. ‘Fon’ uses a portion of the broadband customer’s private wireless connection and offers it to the public for use as a local ‘hotspot’. In short, unless the customer actively opts out of ‘Fon’, their router is functioning as a local mast.
‘Fon’ transmits for a distance of approximately 250 metres* and exposes the user to higher levels of radiation exposure. Whereas domestic Wi-Fi routers can be turned off at night or when not in use to reduce exposure, these Fon hubs are active 24/7.
Many international bodies are now warning of the risks to health from the ubiquitous use of Wi-Fi and some European countries have taken a precautionary stance by removing it from schools and public spaces. References 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
Some people are particularly sensitive to this form of radiation and suffer immediate acute symptoms such as headache, sleep disturbance, fatigue, heart palpitations/arrhythmia, etc. For others, the effect is chronic and may result in long term cell and tissue damage leading to cancer. Last year, the updated Bioinitiative Report reviewed a further 1800 studies and noted that the most serious health end points from electromagnetic exposure included leukaemia, brain tumours, leakage of the blood-brain barrier and increased risk of the neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Childhood Cancer Conference in 2012 reported that exposure to electromagnetic fields may also impede recovery and stated that it appeared to decrease the survival time of children in remission from leukaemia.
Ways to reduce exposure to electromagnetic radiation:
• Disable BT Fon Note: BT ‘hotspot’ hubs need careful deactivation as BT frequently updates and reactivates the connection, via the phone line, to maintain the ‘hotspot’.
• Turn Wi-Fi off and use hard wired broadband points, or a dLan system plug to connect computers via domestic wiring.
• Use your smartphone in a ‘smart’ way – don’t carry in pocket next to heart or genitals, put in aeroplane mode, not silent, when not in use.
• Use aeroplane mode on ipads, iphones when children are playing on them.
• Refuse a smart meter. www.stopsmartmeters.org.uk
References:
1. The BioInitiative Report 2012, www.bioinitiative.org/
2. The World Health Organization Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2011, http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf
3. The Council of Europe, May 2011, ww.powerwatch.org.uk/pdfs/20110506-council-of-Europe-emfs-edoc12608.pdf
4. Freiburg Appeal 2012. 1000 doctors signed the Freiburg Appeal in 2002.
5. Prof. Dominique Belpomme, President, ARTAC (French cancer research organization), September 2010: “There is a proven link between electromagnetic fields, cancer and leukaemia”.
6. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine 2012 Position Paper “Multiple studies
correlate RF exposure with diseases such as cancer, neurological disease, reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity.” http://aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.html
7. International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE) and Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association (IDEA) “there is sufficient scientific evidence to warrant more stringent controls on the level and distribution of electromagnetic radiation [EMR. http://www.env-health.org/news/members-news/article/isde-idea-statement-on
8. http://www.emfwise.com/ehs.php
9. http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/20120423-childhoodcancer2012-conference.asp
*Figure quoted is ‘n’ technology average, reference, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009 Exact distances will depend on landscape and network of hubs.