1) I’ve shared many articles about the addictive nature of “smart” phones, with children being especially vulnerable. Here is a very interesting article from 2017 that I just discovered but thought worth sharing. No doubt, the trend continues to indicate the problem getting worse, not better, since this was written.
(click on photos to enlarge)
HAVE SMARTPHONES DESTROYED A GENERATION?
“More comfortable online than out partying, post-Millennials are safer, physically, than adolescents have ever been. But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis….
Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. The gentle slopes of the line graphs became steep mountains and sheer cliffs, and many of the distinctive characteristics of the Millennial generation began to disappear. In all my analyses of generational data—some reaching back to the 1930s—I had never seen anything like it.”
2) As in Canada, laws have been passed in the US under Telecommunications Acts which benefit the telecom corporations at the expense of municipal rights: health, environmental, property value or aesthetics. Arthur Firstenberg has shared a petition submitted to the US Supreme Court challenging this loss of individual and municipal rights and the effects the Telecom Act’s bias toward telecoms have caused.
PETITION FILED IN U.S. SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY
“Twenty-five years ago, Congress passed a law that permitted the unlimited pollution of every square inch of this country with microwave radiation. The polluters — telecommunications companies — were exempted from all liability for injury, death and property damage. Cities and states were forbidden to protect their citizens. State courts were prohibited from hearing lawsuits. The millions of people who have been injured, killed, and deprived of their income and property by cell towers and antennas have had no remedy for their injuries, deaths and losses.
The law that accomplished this assault on our country is the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Section 704 of that law states:
“No State or local government or instrumentality thereof may regulate the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the Commission’s regulations concerning such emissions.”
Click to access Appeal-Filed-in-U.S.-Supreme-Court-Yesterday-updated.pdf
The Petition:
Click to access Santa-Fe-Alliance-Petition-for-Certiorari-as-filed.pdf
3) A member has attempted to get information about the next auction of 5G spectrum bands; below is the response he got from ISED. Apparently, we deserve to be told nothing. ISED’s motto should be “No studies, no precautions, no information”. They are polluting our environment and endangering our health for profit, for no other reason. On the website they include in their response they say that there will be consultations with the public. Really? When? How do we get invited?
“258. Figure 2 illustrates ISED’s anticipated timing for release of each Priority 1 band. It indicates ISED’s current assessment of anticipated timing, which may change based on the considerations outlined above. In addition, ISED will conduct public consultations prior to releasing additional spectrum. As such, comments received as part of each consultation process may impact various aspects of release, including timing.
261. ISED will have separate and comprehensive consultations before making any specific decisions with respect to these bands. ISED will also assess, at the same time, any competing requirements for spectrum before any decision is made. It is also recognized that the timing of specific decisions will be subject to domestic and international developments.”
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf11403.html#s8.5
Letters:
From Norm Ryder: (name given with permission)
Last September I asked ISED about the dates for the Spectrum auctions for mm wave Freq
At that time they claimed they could not answer the question because of the election – more an answer related to what is left after the bull moves on than the truth. The information they sent to me today was available in Sept.
Find it interesting they have 5G auctions to occur by the end of this year but still do not know when the auction will be held – haven’t dug through the rest of their response but have the feeling that at the best it is outdated if even close to correct.
——– Forwarded Message ——–
Subject: 5G Spectrum
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:21:02 +0000
From: Ries, Bernie (ISED/ISDE) <bernie.ries@ised-isde.gc.ca>
Reply-To: Ries, Bernie (ISED/ISDE) <bernie.ries@ised-isde.gc.ca>
To: Norm Ryder (name give with permission)
CC: spectrum_victoria / victoria_spectre (IC) <spectrumvictoria-victoriaspectre@ised-isde.gc.ca>
Dear Mr. Ryder,
Please find the requested information below:
i) When will the highband spectrum be auctioned and specifically what frequencies will be auctioned?
Currently, there is no information available on the specific dates or the high band frequencies that will be auctioned.
The following table provides the anticipated timing for release of the high band spectrum:
From <https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf11403.html#s8.5>
Please note that the table above is based on the current assessment of the anticipated release timing as published in the Spectrum Outlook 2018 to 2022.
ii) Are there any areas in Canada that are “testing these highbands for 5G and if so where are these locations?
Information relating to areas that are testing bands for 5G is considered potentially proprietary and confidential and so cannot be released. However, you could choose to approach telecom providers directly for this information.
iii) Has highband spectrum been auctioned or issued anywhere in Canada and if so for what purposes?
There has not been an auction for the high band spectrum yet and the dates for auctions are announced publicly to ensure a fair and transparent process.
The high band spectrum is currently being used but not specifically for 5G. Please refer to section 8.3.1 of the Spectrum Outlook 2018 to 2022 for the current uses of high band spectrum.
The Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations also gives information on the utilization of the spectrum.
Regards,
Bernie Ries
Operations Manager, STS-Western Region
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada / Government of Canada
bernie.ries@canada.ca / Tel: 250-216-0728
—–Original Message—–
From: Norm Ryder
Sent: November 8, 2021 2:06 PM
To: spectrum_victoria / victoria_spectre (IC) <spectrumvictoria-victoriaspectre@ised-isde.gc.ca>; ised-isde <ised-isde@ISED-ISDE.gc.ca>
Subject: 5G Spectrum
The election has passed and a new minister has been appointed will you please answer this question I understand most if not all the spectrum for 5G in the mid and lowbands has been auctioned.
- When will the highband spectrum be auctioned and specifically what frequencies will be auctioned?
- Are there any areas in Canada that are “testing these highbands for 5G and if so where are these locations?
- Has highband spectrum been auctioned or issued anywhere in Canada and if so for what purposes?
Norm Ryder
Sharon Noble, Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.” George Bernard Shaw