What should have been a no-brainer has turned into a hugely-contentious issue. Some people argue that the city isn't getting enough money from the ISP that installs the network for exclusive access to its customers. That sounds like a reasonable argument, and one that should be resolved by determining the valuation of the internet service and negotiating the right price.
But what's insane is that all kinds of people think that installing wireless internet on telephone poles is going to kill them or give them cancer.
The biggest problem is that these people don't even know what's dangerous. If they were opposed to microwave ovens and cordless phones - in addition to cell phones and wireless internet, then I could at least accept that they're consistent in their mindless worrying. If their health concerns were legitimate (which they're not), worrying about "cellphone radiation" but not microwave ovens is like cutting out red meat but not smoking.
The stupidest thing about the whole argument? It's not like their neighbors won't all have wireless internet access points in their homes anyways! So the level of exposure they get is the same regardless of whether the city runs the internet or not!
How is it possible that in the most technologically-savvy city in the entire country, if not the world, people still want to put on their tin foil hats?
