Are telecommunications antennae harmful to your health? Are antennae and other telecommunications infrastructure considered visual pollution? Why is it important to install telecommunications infrastructure?
To explain the implications of installing communications networks and resolving doubts about this industry’s infrastructure to the public, MinTIC (The Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies) recently published the Second Code for Best Practices for Installing Telecommunications Infrastructure. The first version of this document is from 2012.
These are some of the issues that the new code addresses:
Why is it important to install telecommunications infrastructure?
Information and Communications Technologies (TIC) improves the quality of life for the citizens by giving them access to a number of goods and services that until recently were inconceivable. In addition, they open up new business opportunities and strengthen their competitiveness.
In order to support TIC’s operations and guarantee access and high quality to the population, the installation of several kinds of infrastructure is necessary: antennae, cables, transmitters, and others that provide new tools to users.
Are telecommunications antennae harmful to your health?
Citizens do benefit from TIC services, however resistance may occur in some neighborhoods where antennae and other technology infrastructure can be found. This is often the result of myths about risks to your health. On numerous occasions, the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed that there is no scientific evidence that definitively proves that signals emitted by antennae are damaging to your health. The example that the WHO offers about television and radio broadcasting stations that have been around for at least 50 years without harming anyone’s health is very telling. There is no evidence that demonstrates that telecommunications antennae represent a threat to the population. In fact, they bring immeasurable benefits related to progress, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Antennae are a Part of Street Furniture
Visual pollution has been another argument against the installation of antennae in urban areas. Supposedly, they do not blend in to the urban landscape. However, the industry has evolved and kept up with technology and the size of antennae and other infrastructure has diminished considerably. The early image of large antennae which was seen when the TIC began to develop in Colombia is a thing of the past. They have been replaced with smaller and more efficient equipment that does not cause any visual disturbance. Nowadays, the antennae fit in very well with the rest of the street furniture and urban landscape.
Author: Germán López
