Companies concealing cellular antennas

Some say radiation from antennas hidden in buildings all over the country is a health risk

By Ynet|Published: 03.03.05 , 14:02

Currently 6,507 cellular phone antennas are dispersed all over the country, and 1,358 of them are concealed in dozens of public buildings, schools and hospitals, a Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper investigation has found.

The public campaign in Israel against visible cellular antennas forced the major cellular companies - Cellcom, Partner, and Pelephone – to get creative and install antennas under the guise of decorative lamps or smoke detectors.

Although the public is unaware of this phenomenon, such antennas are installed in government institutions, public buildings, hospitals, schools, and private businesses.

Cellcom, for example, has installed 49 miniature antennas in the Knesset building in Jerusalem, while Pelephone has installed 49 miniature antennas in Haifa’s Elisha Hospital.

It is doubtful whether employees or citizens who frequent these buildings know that what they think is a smoke detector in the hallway ceiling is actually a cellular antenna.

All the hidden antennas are licensed by the Environment Ministry and comply with regulations on radiation emissions.

'Trickery, encoding and concealment'

While the Environment Ministry website contains a list of the antennas’ general locations, it does not specify their precise location. Thus, for example, nurses in one of the country’s rest homes did not know that a miniature antenna was located directly above their desk.

Local environmental organizations have expressed concern regarding radiation given off by the cellular antennas.

"The whole issue conjures up questions as to why they (the cellular companies) have to resort to methods of trickery, encoding, and concealment,” says Hadas Sachnai, a Green Party representative in the Tel Aviv City Council.

“A sign should be placed at the entrance to every building that contains hidden antennas, and each antenna should be marked,” she says.

Environment Minister Shalom Simchon (Labor) says he will seriously consider the proposal to mark hidden antennas and that he has instructed cellular companies to reveal the locations in which they plan to set up transmission centers.

Cellular company sources say all hidden antenna locations appear on the Environment Ministry website, and that the antennas are marked in accordance with ministry regulations.