While residents of Glastonbury in Somerset have voiced their concerns about the towns £35,000 free wireless Internet access project there appears to be some confusion about the health aspects associated with Wi-Fi access. A number of residents have called for the project to be cancelled due to fears over “radiation” which would appear to have come from a recent BBC1 panorama programme which prompted a number of totally unfounded fears.
A number of the town’s residents seem to have been suffering from unexplained bouts of headaches, dizziness, rashes and even pneumonia which many have put down to the new Wi-Fi system. While the government has suggested more research into the situation in general there is absolutely no evidence to support any link between Wi-Fi Internet access and any health considerations at all. The suggestion that an increase in “radiation” is behind the concerns would appear to be something of an” old wives tale” which has grown out of inconsistent reports, misunderstandings and a number of parties who appear determined to take down the system.
As with any new technology there is a need to both educate users about the system and any possible implications or side effects to the local environment – something which needs to be done sooner rather than later in Glastonbury.