EMF Safety Network – Fiber First LA – 04mar2024.
IT’s TIME TO SHOW UP
We’re having our Day in Court to stop County efforts to rubber stamp the uncontrolled and unprecedented rollout of cell towers in LA County!
WE NEED YOU TO JOIN US!
TUESDAY, MARCH 12th @ 9:30 AM
THE RALLY STARTS AT 9:30 OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 N. Hill St., 8th Floor, Dept 25, Downtown Los Angeles
We need your help to prevent cell towers from showing up everywhere and anywhere– in front of our homes, in our yards, in front of our schools, including places of work and worship, without notification or consent. They can even show up at your favorite camping spot. This not an exaggeration!
FiberFirstLA (FFLA), an organization of concerned citizens, community organizers, safe tech groups, communications professionals and lawyers knew something needed to be done. FFLA filed a lawsuit In Jan 2023 against the LA County Board of Supervisors. They believe all residents in LA County deserve the right to know when a cell tower will be placed next to their homes, and they deserve the right to appeal. Important environmental protections, including CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) must remain in place.
THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE AND EXPENSIVE EFFORT!
In reality, this lawsuit has been extremely expensive. We really need your help.
Please donate any amount you can afford to our legal team, fiberfirstla.org
The LA County Board of Supervisors are supposed to be stewards of public interest, not agents of a corporation. Yet, in 2023 the LA County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on final passage allowing the placement of cell antennas in any public right of way with NO notice to residents, NO environmental review, and NO right to appeal.
They simply circumvented or dismissed long-standing protections. It’s taken over a year; the wheels of justice move slowly, but the case will finally be heard in court on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 9:30 AM.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL! What happens in LA can spread to other cities across the country.
If you live in LA County, PLEASE COME to this important hearing to show your support! Officials need to know we all care about this critical case. The press will be there and so must we!
Telecom and County officials are saying this change is needed to get 5G towers up faster, to close the Digital Divide. It will actually do the opposite! It will saddle unserved and underserved communities with an inferior service for years.
In fact, ALL communities in Los Angeles County deserve access to reliable, affordable, safe, high-speed internet access in the form of WIRED fiber connections. Fast tracking wireless cell towers will only increase the Digital Divide!
Questions people have asked:
Q: Isn’t wireless required for emergency use?
A: 911 works on traditional fixed wired services (cell towers), so people need “wireless” 911 only when they are “mobile.” Further, “wireless” 911 does not require 5G or the “small cells” people are seeing on utility poles. It instead works through large cell towers, typically on private property.
Q: Isn’t wireless required during wildfires and natural disasters?
A: Copper landlines (with phones not needing external power) are the most reliable during wildfires and other disasters. Your cell phone may still work for some macro towers that have 24 to 72 hour backup. For part of the emergency, your cell phone may not work. Also, keep in mind, wireless antennas and associated equipment can cause wildfires: Three major California wildfires in or adjacent to Los Angeles County have been linked to telecommunications equipment:
- Malibu Canyon Fire (2007)
- Woolsey Fire (2018 – $6 billion fire in Malibu & throughout Los Angeles County; 3 deaths & multiple firefighters injured)
- Silverado Fire (2020 – merged with a second fire in Irvine and caused the evacuation of 130,000 people; significant property loss; firefighters injured.)
We don’t understand how the LA County Supervisors can stand behind so much disinformation on this issue. We hoped they would have held on to the values of Ethics, Truth and Justice, but that is not what we saw. We saw them welcome with open arms the desires and input of the telecommunication industry and ignore any valid opposition.
For more information visit: fiberfirstla.org
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
Sincerely,
Julie, Charlene, and Kathleen
5GFreeCalifornia.org
Facebook page: 5G Free California
Facebook group: 5G Free Topanga and Beyond
Instagram: 5G Free CA
EMF Safety Network comment:
Note: Plaintiffs include FiberFirstLA.org, EMFSafetyNetwork.org, 5GFreeCA.org, CAforSafeTech.org, AmericansforResponsibleTechnology.org and other groups opposing the uncontrolled cell tower takeover in LA County.
Source – EMF Safety Network – Fiber First LA
See also, Fiber First LA – What’s wrong with wireless broadband?
- ‘Historic Day’: Judge Hears Arguments in CHD Lawsuit Challenging Fast-tracking of 5G Infrastructure in Los Angeles – 14mar2024
- ‘Huge Win’: Court Rules Big Telecom Must Comply With State Environmental Laws – 04apr2024
- CHD Scores Win in ‘Smart City’ Lawsuit as Court Orders Los Angeles to Turn Over Documents – 05apr2024
Widespread Network Outages Disrupt AT&T Services Across the US – 22feb2024
Extract
In a significant service disruption early Thursday, AT&T’s network experienced widespread outages, affecting cellular service and internet connectivity for users across the United States. According to the tracking site Downdetector, the issues began around 4 a.m. ET, with over 32,000 reports of outages, which surged to more than 71,000 by 8 a.m. ET.
Major cities, including Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, were among the hardest hit ……. continue reading
Safety concerns: The cause of the outage remains unclear, sparking concerns over the potential impact on emergency services. Several municipalities, including San Francisco, Chicago, Virginia’s Prince William County, and North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg, issued public advisories. These notices highlighted the risk to AT&T customers, particularly the inability to reach emergency services like 911. Authorities advised those affected to seek alternative communication methods, such as landlines or phones serviced by other carriers…….. continue reading
The big picture: This incident has prompted a broader discussion on the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure and the need for robust contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted access to essential services, especially during emergencies.
Source – CircleID Reporter – Widespread Network Outages Disrupt AT&T Services Across the US
- Events
- Some Swiss oppositions to cell towers / mobile phone antennas
