«Latest  ‹Forward   News item: 4021  Back›  Oldest» 

Taiwan lawmakers propose limiting wireless stations
Taiwan Created: 9 May 2009
National Communications Commission (NCC) spokesperson Lee Ta-sung said yesterday that the commission would continue communicating with lawmakers serving on the Transportation Committee about an amendment to the Telecommunication Act that would limit buildings to housing three base stations for mobile phones.

The amendment to Article 32 of the act passed its first reading last month.

Changes also stipulate that state-owned land or property must be opened for the installation of base stations unless administrative authorities in charge of the properties can present proof that installation is inviable.

The amendment further stipulates that no base stations can be installed in public or private senior high schools, junior high schools and primary schools.

The committee adopted most of the version proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung.

The amendment was proposed in light of the numerous protests launched against base installations. Some environmentalists and community residents are worried that electromagnetic waves emitted from base stations could cause cancer or harm their health.

A representative from the Department of Health (DOH) attended the Transportation Committee meeting last month. He cited a report from the WHO in 2006 that said there was no reliable evidence showing that radio waves emitted from base stations harm humans.

Lee said the NCC would continue to communicate with legislators on the details and encourage telecom operators to share use of base stations.

“[Sharing base stations] must be done in a way that sustains the nation’s telecommunication industry,” Lee said.

Lee’s comments were made in a press conference introducing a Web site designed by the Taiwan Telecommunication Industry Development Association to educate the public about electromagnetic waves.

The association was formed by major telecom operators, including Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile Co, Far EasTone Telecommunication , Asia Pacific Telecom and Vibo Telecom. The management of the companies takes turns chairing the association.

Association spokesperson Liu Li-ciou said it would be technically impossible to only have three base stations on each building.

“You have the 2G system, the 3G system, the low-power PHS system and WiMAX, and each technology is different from the other. Sharing base stations isn’t like joining a three-legged race. You can’t just tear one antenna from each system and tie them together,” she said.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Taipei Times,Shelley Shan, 06 May 2009

«Latest  ‹Forward   News item: 4021  Back›  Oldest»