What's wrong with wireless broadband?
Cost
Basic wireless broadband services are often cheap to start (around $25), but come with slow upload and download speeds. Prices go up quickly if you have many devices and need more speed. Wireless networks will require expensive upgrades in the near future as data demands increase.
Over time, fiber optic will prove to be much more economical, with an investment return within 5 – 10 years. With billions of federal dollars now available for fiber optic broadband networks in underserved areas, fiber is more affordable for LA County than ever before.
Speed
Fiber optic connections can be anywhere from 30 to 1,000 Mbps or higher, up and down. 4G fixed wireless systems are usually about 5-12 Mbps for download, and 2 to 5 Mbps upload.
5G wireless is available in some limited areas, but 5G signals are easily blocked by walls, trees and even rain. Upload and download speeds are faster, but the service may not be reliable.
Fiber optic is clearly superior to wireless from a speed perspective. Let's make sure everyone gets the fiber optic broadband they deserve!
Climate
Fiber optic networks are the most planet-friendly, energy-efficient of all the available access technologies, requiring almost no power to carry signals at lightning speed.
Wireless networks, on the other hand, require significant power for each transmitting antenna. 5G is estimated to double the energy requirement of current 4G technology once implemented. And the massive number of new antennas required to support 5G means massive increases in energy use.
LA County doesn't need to increase our energy footprint by fast-tracking wireless networks. Let's protect our planet by making sure everyone has access to fiber optic instead!
Fire
Wireless is a fire risk.
Three recent major California wildfires in or adjacent to Los Angeles County have been linked to telecommunications equipment. These include:
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Malibu Canyon Fire (2007) - Hundreds of millions in property damage
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Woolsey Fire (2018) –$6 billion in damages in Malibu & throughout Los Angeles County.
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Silverado Fire (2020) – merged with a second fire in Irvine and caused the evacuation of 130,000 people with significant property loss.
Wireless communications use radiofrequency (RF) radiation to convey signals back and forth. There has been no pre-market safety testing of any of the wireless devices we use every day. The Food and Drug Administration, charged with assessing the safety of electronic devices, has never conducted a rigorous scientific analysis of the health risks. The current human exposure standards for RF radiation were established back in the 1980s by engineers, not medical professionals.
Recent studies by a division of the National Institutes of Health confirmed the ability of RF radiation to cause cancer in lab animals. Thousands of other studies confirm these findings, but no further testing has been ordered.
We strongly recommend that families take precautions to avoid unnecessary exposure to RF radiation.
Health
Nature
Scientists have proven that radio frequency (RF) radiation can be absorbed by birds and insects, raising internal temperatures, interfering with reproduction and navigation, or triggering other responses. This has dramatic implications for our natural world as purveyors of wireless technology push ahead with their plans to blanket the country with powerful antennas.
Pollinators in particular are vital to the economy of California. Los Angeles County should not be spending taxpayer dollars to interfere with the ability of bees and other pollinators to do their work.
