Take action with 5G Free RI and Rhode Islanders for Safe Technology by sending this letter to your legislators to demand change.
Links are provided here for you to find your particular person of contact. If you would like to create more impact then send the letter to ALL.
http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Email/SenEmailListDistrict.asp
http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Email/RepEmailListDistrict.asp
Feel free to use this letter as your own. Address it to the appropriate party and place your information at the bottom.
LETTER:
Dear RI state Senator/Representative/City Councilperson:
As a constituent/Rhode Islander, I write this letter to inform you about the technical benefits of wired broadband internet as opposed to the hyped 5G technology being rolled out across Rhode Island. 5G refers to the fifth generation of wireless technology. The key points are that wired connections are more secure, less invasive, and less energy consuming than wireless. In addition, extensive peer-reviewed studies have confirmed that wireless radiation causes health damage to humans, animals, and insects, but for information on that, see http://5gfreeri.com/ .
Public officials and the general public are largely unaware of the term “5G,” and if they are aware, their awareness comes solely from the PR that the telecom companies use in their advertising. The public deserves accurate, unbiased information about the technical benefits of wired broadband internet over wireless.
First, wired communications are more secure than wireless ones. Radio transmissions, cellphones, Wi-Fi, and even military communications can all be intercepted. This is because only a “line of sight” or direct view to the transmission antenna is needed for a hacker to intercept the transmission. This puts all data “in line of sight” at risk. In contrast, to hack a wired transmission requires physically connecting to a port on the wire. Encryption encodes messages, which can add layers of security. Encryption is not limited to wireless communications. Since broadband wires already exist on most utility poles in Rhode Island, we must ensure that they are maintained, and are connected directly to homes and businesses to protect our information.
Second, the rollout of 5G is invasive. “Small” cells arrive atop telephone poles outside our homes, businesses, parks, schools, and places of worship. They are outfitted on residential high rises, abandoned factories, and towers. 5G transmission can be disrupted by rain, snow, or foliage. Therefore, the industry is pushing for 5G cells to be placed every 100 to 200 yards, or even every 2 to 10 homes. Furthermore, because 5G must work in tandem with 4G, 4G towers are being erected closer to and even inside residential neighborhoods.
5G’s wireless radiation enables the Internet of Things (IoT), which is an even deeper invasion. The IoT will connect every modern electronic device to the internet. The IoT is designed to go beyond our mobile hand-held devices. “Smart” technology is already appearing in everyday household appliances such as TVs, coffee makers, and wearables that broadcast wireless signals whether consumers want them to or not. Considering the insecurity of wireless technology, the push towards more surveillance and data-sharing is perilous. Medical centers and private practitioners will risk HIPPA violations, businesses will risk their clients’ privacy, and consumers will risk biometric information theft. Do we want to sacrifice Fourth Amendment rights prohibiting warrantless search and seizure due to the inability to escape the 5G technology? Our human identity is being surveilled and sold: the gait of our walk, the irises of our eyes, our fingerprints, our temperature, our heartbeat, the details of our private lives. We are at the mercy of the telecom industry and their lobbyists, who have captured our government as the technology moves faster than our legislators can understand it. Instead of making ourselves more vulnerable, we should protect our homes, businesses, and public schools with wired connections.
The third reason wired broadband is better than 5G is that “small cells” are energy guzzlers. The so-called “small” antennas use the existing fiber optic wires on the utility poles as a high-speed backbone. Fiber-optic technology has been used for 40 years to connect continents at the speed of light and will be of use for the next 40. The reason telecoms want 5G rather than fiber to the premises is that it is more cost effective for them to irradiate homes and businesses from the pole’s transmitter than to connect them with wires, which would require labor and materials. Telecoms by law need to provide fiber optics to the premises because consumers have been billed fees on their telephone invoices for over twenty years, but the legislature has not held telecoms to account. The conversion of wired broadband to wireless requires a highly significant amount of energy to keep pulsing modulated microwaves all day every day. Now contemplate the increasing demand for energy when the industry is pushing for small cells every 200 yards. Can you even imagine the energy use from so many devices in operation 24 hours a day in residential neighborhoods? Does any of this appear sustainable, considering that the wireless radiation used to connect devices uses 10 times the energy that wired connections do, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers?
In summary, wired communication such as fiber-optics to the premises has many benefits over a 5G “small cell” on utility poles in front of residences. Fiber-optics is of the highest speed and reliability, is not vulnerable to power outages, and is far more secure. Our personal, professional, medical, and financial information will be kept safe. We will not have to risk the theft or sale of our personal information to the highest bidder during the constant streaming and data mining that will make up the Internet of Things. Furthermore, we will not be bombarded with harmful radiofrequency/microwave radiation 24/7/365 days a year. Ultimately, the escalating energy costs to power the devices—and municipal expenditures for surveillance—can be put to better use, especially in these times, to improve the lives of all.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my views. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your name, member of 5G Free RI
Your address