Political Context Elements in Public Policy of Radio Frequency Information Technology and Electromagnetic Fields

There are widespread uses of radio frequency information technology (RADFIT) including applications related to communications, security, big data, military, transportation, space exploration, oceanography, agriculture, medical sciences, and more. Regulation of RADFIT is challenging and controversial as agencies and stakeholders struggle to balance benefits and costs. This powerful and invisible technology has the capacity to achieve breakthrough solutions by utilizing electromagnetic fields to collect, analyze, and transmit data, or to enact stimuli to create interventions for machines or living matter. However, the prevalence of RF base stations and electromagnetic fields has altered the environment and results in unintended absorption by human subjects. The public policy and politics of RADFIT, including the processes for base site installation and acceptable levels of absorption, have come to the forefront of discourse. This chapter discusses the political narratives that dictate public policy stances on the issue, bureaucratic considerations, and the response by communities.