Can you hear me now? Nope, and you probably won't be able to for several more months.
In the wake of numerous improperly-installed cell phone towers, the Planning Commission has put a hold on any new antennas being erected in San Francisco.
That means that neighborhoods like the Haight will continue to be black holes for cellular service for the foreseeable future.
The move comes at a controversial time for San Francisco's relationship with the cellular industry. After the city passed an ordinance requiring vendors to disclose radiation levels, the industry fought back, insisting that while their products' radiation is harmless, disclosing information about it could be dangerous.
But the recent move to prevent new antennas isn't related to that fight, as far as anyone can tell. Instead, it's due to the companies' tendency to build towers without going through proper channels. Complaints of non-compliant antennas have plagued cell phone companies for years.
"People would go to work and literally when they came back they would find these boxes on the poles near their house," said a legislative Aide to Supervisor John Avalos.
The exact effect of cellphone radiation on humans is still under investigation. Because the technology is so new, it could take decades before we know whether or not the technology is harmless.
