Emissions from Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) may soon be a
thing of the past any time soon from 2021.
This, participants at a recent one-day forum said is
anticipated in the next 10 to 15 years given the speed with which Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) tools are turned out.
Participants at a one-day forum on BTS in Lagos recently
organised by eBusiness Life Communication Limited in collaboration with the
Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also
agreed that due to advancement in the management and transmission of radio
frequency power as base stations will be linked by fibre optics, this dream is
attainable.
A communiqué made available to ITRealms Online and endorsed
by the chief executive of eBusiness Life, Mrs. Ufuoma ‘Daro, participants at
the Forum focused on BTS and its impact on health and environment as there have
been arguments and fears by telecoms consumers and indeed the general public
about the effects of these BTS on health and environment.
She noted that a school of thought views this as mere
communications infrastructure; some others as a means to wealth for land owners
and government, but the majority see BTS as a source of health hazard.
According to her, the implication is that operators have
difficulty getting land to deploy these very important means of transmission,
thereby posing a challenge to provision of quality service.
The forum also recommended the need for the regulatory
agency, NCC, to take a proactive stand after due investigation and local
research with appropriate health professionals and engineers.
“It was also agreed that enough enlightenment campaign has
not been done to assure Nigerians of the safety or otherwise of the
infrastructure,” part of the communiqué read, adding that participants believe
that the federal government through the Ministry of Communications Technology, the
NCC and such organizations as the National Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA), ATCON, ALTON and other stakeholders should be part of forums
geared towards enlightening the public.
She pointed out that while participants agreed that there is
sufficient claim that radiation emission from other electrical and electronic
gadgets such as television sets, handsets, electric power antennas, among
others are more than the emission from base stations, they argued that these
could be regulated by users, whereas base stations could only be regulated by
appropriate government authorities, and should as such be properly monitored.
Participants further agreed that the level of ignorance is
still very high, thus NCC should do more awareness campaign and further
research on the issue alongside the operating companies.
Additionally, she said that recommendation was made that
appropriate funding be provided for media practitioners to carry out campaigns
geared towards public enlightenment and research since they have the power of
‘mass information.’
Whereas, the federal government was tasked to put deliberate
policies in place to accelerate the deployment of fibre optic links in order to
ensure strict compliance as it is seen to be safer, even as the consumer education
continues.
Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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