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Case in Borgofranco d’Ivrea shows how fear of electromagnetic radiation led schools to switch wireless connection for Ethernet cables and opened debate on technology, child health, and public decisions influenced by the internet
Mayor orders wireless network to be turned off in municipal schools due to fear of electromagnetic radiation in children. The decision took place in Borgofranco d’Ivrea, an Italian city in the Piedmont region, and led the city hall to replace the wireless connection with Ethernet cables.
The investigation was published by International Business Times, an international news portal. The case draws attention because a simple change within municipal schools became an example of how information read on the internet can influence decisions about technology, health, and education.
In practice, the city did not end the internet in schools. The connection continued to exist but stopped circulating via wireless signal and started to rely on cables. The measure altered the school infrastructure and placed the fear of invisible waves at the center of the discussion.
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Fear of electromagnetic radiation led the wireless network to leave schools
The decision was born out of a concern about possible risks of electromagnetic waves for children. The mayor read information on the internet about the topic and decided to turn off the wireless network in municipal schools.
The most attention-grabbing point is the origin of the decision. The change did not come from a major local scientific review. It came from a concern fueled by online content about electromagnetic radiation.
With this, Borgofranco d’Ivrea became a symbolic case. The city showed how the fear of something invisible can alter a school’s routine and change the way students and teachers access the internet.
Ethernet cables returned to the center of the classroom as a more cautious solution
The solution adopted was to replace the wireless connection with Ethernet cables. This type of connection uses wires connected to equipment, without spreading a signal through the environment as occurs with wireless network routers.
For those who do not understand technical terms, the difference is simple. The wireless network allows internet access without a cable. The Ethernet cable, on the other hand, requires a physical connection between the device and the internet point.
This change can reduce the circulation of the wireless signal within the school but also makes the connection more dependent on wires and fixed points. Therefore, the measure has a direct impact on the digital infrastructure used in classrooms.
International Business Times recorded the decision that put technology and fear in the same debate
International Business Times, an international news portal, recorded that the Italian city turned off the wireless network in municipal schools due to concerns about electromagnetic waves and adopted Ethernet cables as an alternative.
The case became larger than the city itself because it touches on a common doubt among parents, teachers, and public managers. Technology should advance in schools, but many families still have concerns when the subject involves children and invisible exposure.
The decision also raises another important issue. When public authorities use information from the internet to make technical decisions, greater care is needed. Health, education, and school infrastructure require clarity, responsibility, and good explanation for the population.
What are electromagnetic waves and why do they generate so much fear
Electromagnetic waves are forms of energy present in various everyday technologies. They appear in radio, television, cell phones, routers, and other common equipment.
The fear grows because these waves cannot be seen. For many people, what is invisible seems more dangerous, especially when it involves children inside schools.
The word radiation also frightens. In common usage, it is often associated with serious risk. However, the debate about wireless networks in schools requires caution, because not all radiation has the same type of effect.
Small Italian town became a symbol of technological panic in schools
Borgofranco d’Ivrea became an example of a tension appearing in several countries. On one hand, schools seek more technology to improve teaching. On the other, distrust grows regarding signals, screens, routers, and constant exposure.
The case is strong because it shows a concrete decision. The city hall not only discussed the topic. It turned off the wireless network and changed the connection structure of municipal schools.
This type of measure shows how fear can leave the internet and reach the classroom. A concern read online transformed into a physical change in school buildings, with cables replacing the wireless signal.
Decision exposes the difficulty of balancing technology, child health, and public trust
The discussion is not limited to routers. It involves trust in science, public communication, and decisions made in uncertain environments. When the population doesn’t fully understand a risk, fear can grow rapidly.
In schools, this debate becomes even more sensitive. Children are seen as more vulnerable, and any doubt about health usually generates an immediate reaction from parents and authorities.
At the same time, technology is part of modern education. Therefore, decisions about wireless networks, cables, and digital infrastructure need to be explained simply, transparently, and responsibly.
The Italian town that turned off the wireless network in schools due to fear of electromagnetic radiation showed how a local decision can gain global significance. The switch to Ethernet cables resolved the city hall’s immediate concern, but also raised questions about online information and public policies.
When the topic involves children, technology, and invisible risks, should the best decision follow fear, precaution, or available evidence? Leave your opinion in the comments and share this post with those who follow debates about education and technology.
Dear Flavia,
Not a lot of tweaking required before your article is suitable for publication. I suggest you just remove the biased emotive terms and replace them with facts. For example:
“Case in Borgofranco d’Ivrea shows how understanding of electromagnetic radiation led schools to switch wireless connection for Ethernet cables and opened debate on technology, child health, and public decisions influenced by science communicated via the internet
Mayor orders wireless network to be turned off in municipal schools due to learning of the effects of microwave radiation on children. The decision took place in Borgofranco d’Ivrea, an Italian city in the Piedmont region, and led the city hall to replace the wireless connection with Ethernet cables.
The investigation was published by International Business Times, an international news portal. The case draws attention because a simple change within municipal schools became an example of how scientific information shared on the internet can influence decisions about technology, health, and education.
In practice, the city did not end the internet in schools. The connection continued to exist but stopped circulating via wireless signal and started to rely on cables. The measure only slightly altered the school infrastructure and placed scientific understanding of invisible waves at the center of the discussion.”
You get the idea. We look forward to receiving your revised copy and hope that your future work will stick to the facts.
The ‘fears’ are well founded based on decades of valid scientific research which tells us that the emf fields disrupt biological process, leading to various short and long term harms which are cumulative with both length of exposure, and strength of exposure to emf fields. Further accentuated by the obviously corrupt regulatory process which refuses to acknowledge the known harms of these technologies, as the purveyors of these technologies are often the primary funding sources of the regulatory systems. ‘Policy for sale.’
We’ve been demanding American schools, and energy companies remove their wireless infrastructure and smart devices immediately. We limit and mitigate these in our own homes.
Additionally this is even more harmful to bees and pollinators. Save the bees! Reject wireless everything. Keep it wired keep it safe. The FCC which the entire worlds regulatory structure was initially formed around pertaining to wireless devices, has not performed a comprehensive valid safety study since the mid 1990’s and only tested for thermal heating effects.
We have since learned, after multiple generations of even stronger higher energy field devices have been deployed worldwide, we’ve learned of many other biological and environmental harms which are far worse than simple thermal heating. The wave disrupts cellular activity in many different ways, we’ve learned the low frequency low power waves may be more harmful as their signal strength attenuates along nervous systems as they are similar in strength and the biological matter provides a nearly perfect vector of conveyance. All biological creatures use electrical function. We can not introduce new electrical fields into the environment without affecting these biological functions. Special pro tip; They’re harmful not helpful.
Good Job Borgofranco.
This case reflects a broader scientific debate that is often overlooked. While the public narrative claims that wireless radiation below current limits is “safe”, several respected scientific groups disagree. ICBE‑EMF — an international commission of independent researchers — has concluded that today’s exposure limits only address heating effects and do not reflect the large body of evidence showing biological effects at lower levels.
Former IEEE/ICNIRP member Prof. James C. Lin has also published analyses calling for updated safety guidelines, and more than 240 scientists from 40+ countries have signed the EMF Scientist Appeal urging stronger protections, especially for children.
Whether one agrees with the mayor or not, it is important to acknowledge that credible scientific disagreement exists. Precaution is not fear — it is a reasonable response when evidence is still evolving. Public policy should consider the full range of scientific research, not only the part that supports the prevailing narrative.