ANYONE in Britain eagerly awaiting the arrival of the mobile Internet and
video-on-the-move is in for a long wait. Escalating public opposition to
building mobile phone masts threatens to seriously delay the advent of
third-generation cellphone networks.
The news follows the revelation by telecomms analyst Ovum that Britain鈥檚 3G
operators are going to need at least 100,000 new antenna masts, a number that
dwarfs the 40,000 used for today鈥檚 GSM network. This comes just as public
concern is increasing over the health risks of radiation from mobile phones and
their base station antennas. And objectors challenging the siting of these masts
have a powerful new ally: the recently enacted Human Rights Act.
The networks do not publish the number of masts they use or are planning to
build. But Ovum says that each of the four British networks has around 10,000
masts. The 3G system uses higher frequencies than GSM, which do not travel so
well, so it will need three times as many antennas in urban areas and twice as
many in the country. This means Britain鈥檚 five 3G operators will need at least
100,000 new antennas between them to match GSM coverage.
Advertisement
In May 2000, the Department of Health backed the 鈥減recautionary approach鈥� on
mobile phone health concerns recommended by its expert panel headed by William Stewart
(快猫短视频, 13 May 2000, p 5).
This gave people objecting to new masts some ammunition, but the Human Rights Act
has iced their cake.
For instance, the Royal Free Hospital in London said the Orange network could
erect new masts on its roof. London lawyer Alan Meyer advised worried local
residents that the Human Rights Act gave them the right to object on health
grounds as Stewart had reported it was not possible, currently, to rule out
health effects. The residents won, and the hospital withdrew permission for new
masts.
Elsewhere, local councils are facing protests on similar grounds. And the
Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), which represents the cellphone
industry, is warning of 鈥渞ethought timelines鈥� and 鈥渕issed revenue targets鈥� for
3G. 鈥淔inding sites is becoming very difficult,鈥� says Virtyt Koshi, a telecomms
expert at Ovum. 鈥淧eople are increasingly worried about health issues.鈥�
The GSA complains that governments have taken billions for 3G
licences鈥斅�6.5 billion in France and 拢22 billion in
Britain鈥攚hile leaving licensees with the problem of finding mast sites.
But a British government spokesman is unmoved: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like taking clothes
back to Marks & Spencer. We assumed they all did their research before
bidding. The government is not in the business of giving refunds.鈥�