Friday December 24, 2010

Company wants to change public’s misconception about telco towers

By CHRISTINA LOW
christinalow@thestar.com.my

ONE of the greatest challenges of telco companies is to address the misconception of the community on radiation from towers, Packet One Networks (Malaysia) chief operating officer M. Idham Nawawi said.

Idham said this at a briefing on the company’s services to Petaling Jaya city councillors and department heads at the Petaling Jaya City Council headquarters.

“When we receive complaints from residents on our new telco towers we have to dismantle it even though the site has been approved.

“Each time we take one down, at least 200 people will lose their connections,” said Idham, adding that Packet One would be investing RM81mil to build its network infrastructure in Selangor next year.

The misconception among the residents was the towers posed as a health hazard because it has high radiation readings.

Not a health hazard: A telecommunication tower behind a row of houses in Petaling Jaya.

Malaysian Nuclear Agency non-ionising radiation group manager Dr Wan Saffiey Wan Abdullah, who gave a presentation on the radiation waves, said this was not true.

“The P1 WiMax antenna, which I checked had very low radiation level ranging from six watts and below as compared with a microwave oven which has at least 1,000 to 2,000 watts,” said Wan Saffiey.

He said people got the wrong information from friends that the radiation could cause cancer.

In a recent meeting with the Internal Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection, Wan Saffiey asked about the effects on house owners who had telco towers on their roofs.

“They told me it is even safer to live in the house as the radiation is only transmitted to those living outside it,” said Wan Saffiey.

At the briefing, Selangor exco member for investments, trade and industry Teresa Kok asked if the telco towers, which were often shared between a few companies could be covered up just like how it was done in South Korea.

Some towers were decorated to look like trees while others shared the same pole as the street lamps.

Councillor Tang Fuei Koh asked if Packet One could first submit their proposed sites so that the council could look into the areas and suggest places if it was found not suitable.

Councillor Tiew Way Keng wanted the company to inform the residents before building their telco towers in housing areas as well as hold road shows and talks on the health and safety aspect relating to it.

She felt it would help eliminate complaints regarding such towers in the future.

Idham said his team would help the council in educating the community and work together to build a wireless city.