Wi-Fi Already Ubiquitos

First published: 25^th July 2007

I have bad news for Eddie Lau (letters July 25th), we are already living in a sea of WiFi transmissions.

WiFi is commonly used by businesses and many home internet users, and the signals extend far beyond the premises boundaries. Any WiFi user can report multiple contactable access points almost anywhere in Hong Kong. Most of those networks are (or should be) closed - usable only by the owners. The Government plans are for publicly-accessible access points. Of course, going underground will reduce your exposure until the MTR installs their access points, but that will have minimal effect on most people's total exposure. Realistically, the signal strength drops rapidly with distance from the transmitter, so the levels are low. Bluetooth may be more of a concern, while the transmitter is low power, users keep transmitters very close to their bodies.