Chief science advisor calms 5G fears

A handful of anti-5G protesters picketed Spark's Auckland head office on Thursday. They claim the technology is not safe and is being rolled out without proper consultation.

Earlier in the week, the Prime Minister's chief science advisor, Professor Juliet Gerrard, set up a web site to address some of the fears.

The introduction page to the 5G in Aotearoa New Zealand site makes it clear:

"The currently available scientific evidence makes it extremely unlikely that there will be any adverse effects on human or environmental health."

Millimetre waves

The site describes the characteristics of millimetre waves used for 5G. It points out they can cause heating, but not enough for this to be noticeable. It also covers the security fears of 5G which, because it is more dependent on cloud computing, may involve more risks.

Elsewhere the site covers fears that 5G may cause cancer: the risks are extremely low and there has been evidence to date.

Many anti-5G campaigners complain of other ailments including headaches and sleep problems. The site says: "Neither short nor long term studies have shown conclusive evidence of any of these or other health effects."

Radio frequencies used for 5G are in the non-ionising part of the spectrum. This means they don't break molecular bonds, or more to the point damage human cell tissue.

Management buyout for Spark's CCL network services business

CCL's general manager of network services Mark Jurgeleit is the new owner of the company's network services division. The company has rebranded as Octave. CCL is a Spark subsidiary and merged with the Revera cloud operation earlier this year.

The deal between Spark, CCL and Octave will see Spark and CCL keep control of all existing client contracts. Octave will work as a sub-contractor.

Ultrafast Fibre preparing 10Gbps product

In an interview with Reseller News, Ultrafast Fibre CEO John Hanna said his company will soon join Chorus and offer services based on 10 Gbps technology. Chorus calls its service Hyperfibre. Hamilton-based Ultrafast Fibre is the local fibre company serving parts of the central North Island.

Ilich new Tuanz chair

Tristan Ilich is the new Tuanz chair. He takes over from Liz Gosling who stood down because of commitments elsewhere, but will stay on as deputy chair.

Ilich is data and telco leader at Aurecon. Tuanz also has new board members: Wendy McGowan of Rural Women NZ; Will Graham, chief customer officer at Network for Learning; and Zoe Udy who chairs the Wellington Flint lead team.

Simon Moutter joins Agility CIS board

Former Spark CEO Simon Moutter has join the board of Agility CIS, an Auckland-based software developer. Agility CIS develops billing systems for utility companies. The company says Moutter has "already begun working closely with Agility’s management team to strengthen customer relationships and ensure it was delivering outstanding value to customers".

Spark to sell Apple Watch 5 with cellular calling

Spark is to sell a version of the Apple Watch that has built-in cellular calling. From 13 December Spark's online site and stores will stock the Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular). Customers with some existing Spark cellular plans will be able to buy a $13 monthly add-on giving unlimited data, calls and texts from the Watch.