In september, the market town council had already commissioned the company OR network with the technical implementation. Leading ambassador of the protest is elke muller. She lives in the old school in rupboden, on which a transmitter mast for radio relay is to be erected. "If that happens, I'll move out, said he clear mobile radio opponent. The plan is to supply robbach from weiperz via the elevated station in sterbfritz. From there – also by radio – the signal is passed on to eckarts, rupboden and schmidthof.
Concern for health
Muller is not alone in her concerns. More than 90 citizens put their names on the list that mayor wilhelm friedrich (CSU) accepted. Around 50 critical citizens addressed their questions to oliver ritz, managing director of OR networks. Does the internet also work in snow and ice or when all the burgers want to surf at once?? The internet may indeed be slower due to the weather, ritz admitted. But the network itself is designed for a certain number of households, so that no failures are to be expected.
But the biggest concern of the citizens was the health hazards, which can be caused by mobile radio. Reports are circulating on the internet of affected locations where, for example, the cancer rate is said to have risen dramatically. According to ritz, an expert opinion had been commissioned for this very reason, by a citizens' initiative that had similar concerns elsewhere. The result was that no danger was detected.
Technical details provide clarification …
Ritz explained that a distinction must be made between mobile radio and radio relay. While cell phones and televisions, for example, radiate spherically in all directions, directional radio is directed specifically at one point. "Directional radio bundles the radiation like the beam of a flashlight", explained ritz. Moreover, the radiation is very low at 0.1 watt. For comparison: a cordless telephone has 0.5 watt transmitting power, a cell phone even two watts.
… But not for reassurance
Nevertheless skepticism persisted. Karl kohlhepp complained that for rupboden "there was only one 3. Class connection" give. "The actual costs are again passed on to the end consumer." Background: the market of zeitlofs had already put the project out to tender one and a half years ago and had received offers from telekom, O2 and OR network. First the municipality entered into negotiations with O2. But a contract was not concluded. Then OR network was negotiated with because it was the cheaper provider and the municipality had otherwise put in a 70 percent demand.
"Does the cheapest price have to come at the expense of health??" This question remained stubbornly in the room. Although telekom had laid fiber-optic cables, they would have cost more than twice as much, friedrich countered. Against the accusation of "secret politics he refused. However, the mayor obviously took to heart the citizens' appeal to have more – and earlier – say in the matter.