[CTRL] Cell Phones and Your Health..

[Michael F. Corbin]

For what its worth...

Recently, there was a press release on ABCNEWS.COM concerning new research being done in the UK on the safety of cell phones.  Reading this, I began to get worried that my use of a digital cell phone could be affecting my health.  I use one pretty heavily.

I have had service with Airtouch for about 4 years and began service with them when digital was still in the development stages.  I used an analog phone which broadcasts on the 900 MhZ band.  At that time, I was sufficiently concerned about holding a radio emitting device to my head and used an attache phone, which allows me to install the phone in my car and hook it to an external antenna and hold a handset to my head without the fear of being radiated by the phone.  I used the analog phone service until Airtouch practically insisted that I switch to digital.  With great reluctance, I did.  They assured me that the digital phones put out such a small amount of energy that they were safe to use. 

Following the press release, I decided to switch my service back to analog and use my attache phone again.  When I called Airtouch, I was told that the price of analog was too expensive and they set me up on a plan that is excessively expensive.

My complaint to them was: They are forcing people to use digital phones despite the strong possibility that they are dangerous to our  health.  They are using price manipulation to assure that people don't use analog service which, in my opinion, is not quite as dangerous as the digital phones which broadcast on a frequency above 1 gigahertz.  You will also notice that no digital phone comes with a handset or the ability to operate external to your vehicle like an attache phone without spending $250.00 for a car install.  This still does not allow you the ability to use the phone without an external microphone and speaker which diminshes quality.  If you want your phone call to be personal, you still have to hold it to your head where you get a dose of the energy emitting from the phone.

I am a member of the press.  I am planning on using whatever resource I have available to me to take these greedy companies to task.  My belief is that they should make analog service available to their customers at a comparable price to the digital.  Thus, people can minimize their health risks by using phones such as an attache phone. 

The research that is being done is quite compelling that there is significant health risk to people who use digital phones.  The large carriers like Airtouch are trying to cash in on the thing before the hammer drops.  It is a sad day when the value of human life is relegated to profit with these large companies. 

People had better wake up and realize that this world is becoming smaller and smaller when it comes to what we consume.  As the big fish swallow up the small fish, competition and free market begin to suffer.  Consider that the prices of gasoline, food and other items that we consume are becoming more and more expensive.  The law of supply and demand still rule.  Send a clear and strong message to these multinational corporations by exercising your power over them.  Don't buy, complain and demand that they listen to what we have to say.

Michael Corbin