Sonic.net Inc. Internet Provider CEO: “I Hate Wireless.”

*Sonic.net Inc, CEO Dane Jasper writes, on his blog:

“Wireless is magic. You point two antennas at each other over a span of miles, and broadband comes out the other end. Most of the time.

I hate wireless.

Today, we sold our wireless network.”

Several years ago, Sonic had hoped to install a free public wi-fi network in Sebastopol. But after months of campaigning against Sonic’s wi-fi, the Sebastopol city council decided to terminate their contract based on health and safety risks of wireless. Sonic now states it is retiring all of their public wi-fi projects!

CEO Jasper contends the wireless is difficult and their focus is changing to wireline services, which include fiber optics!

*About Sonic.net Inc: Sonic.net, founded in 1994, provides broadband access to consumers and wholesale ISP partners in a thirteen state region. Sonic.net’s flagship product is “Fusion”, which combines unlimited broadband and local and long distance home telephone service. For $39.95, every Fusion customer gets the maximum Internet speed possible at their location — up to 20Mbps — plus a traditional phone line with U.S. and Canadian calling included.

PG&E’s spying may cost them

Wiliam “Ralph” Devereaux, was the Senior Director of the PG&E Smart Meter program from October 2009 to November 2010. Devereaux was the public face for the PG&E Smart Meter program and he appeared at many community meetings throughout PG&E’s service territory. Devereaux resigned from PG&E in November 2010 after he was caught trying to infiltrate an EMF Safety Network online discussion list. Prior to being caught he had infiltrated other anti smart meter groups, including Stop Smart Meters and posted comments to discredit their views, using the fake name, “Ralph.”

PG&E tried to characterize Devereaux as a rogue employee who acted alone. But the lengthy investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Consumer Protection and Safety Division revealed that Devereaux forwarded emails that he collected using the false identity to his boss and other senior managers at PG&E, including a member of the legal department. The EMF Safety Network was involved in a legal proceeding at the CPUC against PG&E at the time of PG&E’s spying.

Today the CPUC ordered an investigation into PG&E’s activities to determine if PG&E engaged in deceitful conduct towards consumer groups. The Consumer Protection and Safety Division of the CPUC concluded that:

1. PG&E violated PU Code Section 451 by failing to furnish just and reasonable service when Mr. Devereaux lied about his identity to infiltrate online smart meter discussion groups in order to spy on their activities and discredit their views; and

2. PG&E senior management knew of Mr. Devereaux’s deceit before it was reported in the press and failed to prevent and stop his inappropriate behavior.

The CPUC states, “Mr. Devereaux’s actions are considered the actions of PG&E.” and “PG&E lost the public’s trust when Mr. Devereaux was caught using a false identity to join the EMF Safety Network.” PG&E is now notified that fines may be imposed in this matter and hearings will be held at the CPUC.

Here’s the email exchange between William Devereaux and Sandi Maurer, who received a notice from Google that manasota99@gmail.com, wanted to join the CA EMF Safety Coalition, an online anti smart meter discussion list. This is the string of emails where the computer outed the real identity of <manasota99@gmail.com>:

On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 10:08 AM, EMF Safety Network <EMFSafe@sonic.net> wrote:

Hello,

Please let me know more about your interest in joining the CA EMF Coalition. This discussion group has been set up for county leaders focused on EMF, specifically RF Smart meters.

Please include where you live, what aspect of smart meter issue you are working on and how you came to be involved in this issue. There may be a better group that I can help connect you to, or you may be our next county lead. Please let me know.

Thanks,

Sandi

Sandi Maurer

EMF Safety Network

www.emfsafetynetwork.org

On Nov 4, 2010, at 3:23 PM, William Devereaux wrote:

Hi Sandi,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I’ve been travelling a lot.

I live in Oakland where Smart meters have been sweeping across town and wanted to learn more about them and join the conversation to see what I can do to help out here.

Thanks,

Ralph

From: EMF Safety Network <EMFSafe@sonic.net>

Date: November 4, 2010 7:10:36 PM PDT

To: William Devereaux <manasota99@gmail.com>

Cc: california-emf-safety-coalition <california-emf-safety-coalition@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: Your interest in joining the California EMF Coalition?

Hi,

Aren’t you the head of the Smart Meter program at PG&E? We’d love your help!

Can you help us obtain a Smart Meter moratorium ASAP? People who are asking for meters not to be installed are being bullied, signs on meters are being disregarded and the CPUC has received 2000 Smart Meter complaints from Aug 15-Oct 15. We need a moratorium ASAP and the opportunity to be heard at the CPUC.

Your help would be invaluable. Thanks for contacting us.

Sandi

Commercial PG&E smart meter opt-out letter

TO: PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, Helen Burt, and Agents of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, PO Box 997315, Sacramento, CA. 95899-9900

[Today’s date]

NOTICE OF NON-CONSENT TO INSTALL A MICROWAVE TRANSMITTER, (SMART METER) ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, NOTICE OF LIABILITY

Dear Helen Burt, PG&E agents, officers, employees, contractors and interested parties:

The installation of a utility smart meter that transmits or emits microwave radiation on the commercial property located at [INSERT BUSINESS ADDRESS], is hereby refused and prohibited. Because the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) order is silent on opt-out for PG&E commercial customers, we are expecting and asserting the same rights as residential customers, who may opt-out for any reason, or no reason. [1]

While my reasons include [INSERT REASONS], I would expect my request to be honored without a stated reason.

If you refuse our request and place a smart meter at our business, we will have no choice but to promptly remove the meter ourselves and restore the analog meter.

Thank you for respecting our request.

Your signature

Your name

Your address

[1] Decision 12-02-014, released February 9, 2012, Conclusion of Law #1.

Note from admin: Send this letter by certified mail.

Today's Special: Smart Meter with Ketchup...Photo by Armand Caputi — Today’s Special: Smart Meter with Ketchup…Photo by Armand Caputi

SCE and SDG&E- smart meter opt-out approved!

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a smart meter opt out program for Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) customers, similar to the PG&E opt out program approved in February.

SCE: Starting May 9, customers may opt out by calling 1-800-810-2369. For customers already on the delay list, calling the number will enable them to enroll in the opt-out program and keep their current meters. Customers who have a smart meter, but would like to opt out, can have their meter exchanged for the type (i.e., electro-mechanical analog meter or non-analog, non-smart digital meter) that was previously in place.

SDG&E: Similar opt out program approved, using analog meters. SDG&E will begin removing smart meters within 20 days. Call 1-800-411-7343

Unfortunately, the punitive, arbitrary, and likely illegal fees to opt out continue to be imposed by the CPUC. Approval was given to interim fees of $75 for set-up and $10 per month for meter reading, and CARE fees of $10 for set-up and $5 per month. A second phase of the CPUC proceeding will be held to evaluate cost, and community wide opt-outs.

Meanwhile the CPUC also approved new metrics to track how the smart grid projects are delivering value to customers. These metrics include tracking: load and demand response programs, home area network usage, customer complaints, malfunctioning meters, and others.

What to do-PG&E’s May 1* smart meter opt-out deadline

If you have a smart meter: Tell PG&E to remove it! 1-866-743-0263

If you have an analog meter: Tell PG&E you plan to keep your analog meter. When they ask you to agree to the charges tell them, “NO, the fees are arbitrary, punitive, likely illegal, and the fees are being legally contested at the CPUC!”

Be assertive. Here’s the legal scoop: PG&Es Advice letter 3278-G/4006-E was posted on the CPUC Energy Division website as NO ACTION. NO ACTION means they cannot act on the advice letter, therefore we believe they cannot legally charge the fees at this time. If they ask you about access to your property, tell them they need to make an appointment.

If you agree to the fees, you can express that you are only agreeing under duress. If and when they charge, write “paid under protest” on your check, and keep a copy. Or don’t pay.** PG&E’s online opt out form does not force you to explicitly agree to the charges.

You can also send PG&E a certified letter to: Pacific Gas and Electric, PO Box 997315, Sacramento Ca 95899-9900.

* May 1 is a PG&E deadline for people on the “delay list”. Any PG&E customer can opt out for any reason at any time.

**RISKS and BENEFITS of NOT paying the fees: This is a form of direct action that can be helpful. PG&E may turn off your utilities, or install a smart meter. If this happens we can bring media attention to the issue.

*** The advice letter was removed from the CPUC website on April 30.

Neighbors meters: Talk to your neighbors about these choices. Some people, if needed-will offer to cover the costs of neighbors opt out, to protect themselves and their children. Print out this flyer and talk to your neighbors: Neighborhood flyer

PG&E smart meter assessment report

In a recent Smart Meter Semi-Annual Report PG&E provides an overview of their current smart meter deployment status.

Highlights of this report include:

By the end of 2011 PG&E had nearly 9 million electric and gas smart meters installed in California. (roughly 91% of its customers)
There are 835,711 meters remaining that have not been replaced with smart meters.
PG&E claims to have “pioneered” an opt out alternative for their customers.
Customers protesting smart meters are principally concerned with the radio frequency (RF) smart meters emit.
In April 2011 PG&E established an extended delay list that includes customers who: 1) refused PG&E’s attempts to install; 2) notified PG&E that they intended to remove their smart meter upon installation; 3) failed to provide PG&E with access to their residences (e.g. locked gate, unleashed dog), despite multiple attempts; 4) called PG&E to request the smart meter be removed; 5) removed their smart meter on their own.
Roughly 175,000 customers were sent a certified letter informing them of the opt out program.
14,904 customers have asked to opt out of smart meters, and 6,730 have agreed to have a smart meter.
5,042,000 smart meters are “activated” which means the wireless data is transmitting and recording properly. [That leaves over 3.5 million smart meters NOT performing as intended]
The PG&E smart meter program is expected to exceed the CPUC authorized cost cap of 2.206 million.
22,000 customers showed an interest in accessing their utility data online. [In the CPUC Decision that authorized smart meters the CPUC expected a 21% customer participation in monitoring utility use through the Home Area Network ]
[Supposed] Benefits of “activated” smart meters totaled just under $2.00 per meter per month for electric and just over $1.00 for gas. [The benefits is mainly due to “meter-reading savings”, ie: jobs lost]
In 2011, roughly 33,000 electric smart meters were removed due to suspected hardware failures, and approximately nearly 16,000 gas smart meters have failed. (see chart p.26)
PG&E is also having problems with billing and data collection failure. They note thousands of meters where complete data was not retrieved. [Although they point out that an “accurate bill can be generated in most cases.”

[In all the PG&E documents I have read they always put the best case scenario on paper. I believe we are now starting to see an indication that millions of CA customers have footed the bill for a program doomed to fail, due to cost overruns, consumer revolt and disinterest, and poor equipment performance…and there’s no mention of the inevitable security problems, yet…]

Ban wireless smart meters- Petition to sign

Please sign this petition created by Donna Bervinchak, from San Francisco, addressed to: P.G&E., Governor Jerry Brown, C.P.U.C., President Obama: “Remove and Ban all SmartMeters from the state of CA and the entire U.S.A. The carcinogenic emissions from SmartMeters are making once healthy, functioning Americans, sick, mentally unstable, unable to live in their homes and unable to function and hold down a job.”

Donna’s statement on why this is important:

I lived in San Francisco, CA for 22 years and l loved my life there. In October of 2011, P.G.&E. turned 12 SmartMeters on, outside my apartment without my knowledge. In November I started to sleep more than usual and I thought it was because it was getting dark early so I brushed it off. In December I broke out in hives all over my face and the skin on my face became unusually dry. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before but I brushed it off again and blamed it on stress.

By January I was sleeping so heavily I felt like I was drugged and this is when I started to think maybe someone in my apartment building started to use WiFi again (last year everyone in my apartment building stop using WiFi on my request due to my sensitivity to wireless). By the middle of January I couldn’t sleep. I also began to have trouble breathing because the air felt too thick. My face started to become numb as well as my scalp and gums of my teeth. I began to have a lump in my throat that made me loose my appetite and thirst. I developed an intense pressure headache that felt like a vise pressing on my temples.

This is when I discovered the SmartMeters and called P.G.&E. and asked them when they turned them on. I asked them to remove them because they were giving me all the symptoms I described above and they told me that they could not do that for me because they were federally approved.

I tried to stay in my apartment and over time I got weaker and sicker. I began to have trouble concentrating and thinking. I moved out of my apartment on Jan. 29, 2012 and stayed with a friend who didn’t have a SmartMeter. I slowly got better but I still would get sick walking down the street in San Francisco from all the SmartMeters emitting their microwave like waves into the streets. I started having heart palpitations and shortness of breath just from walking down the street.

I went to the country for one week in Comptche, CA and spent time with a friend on her 64 acres of land. She lived off the grid and I immediately got better. I felt like my normal, healthy self again. This is when I knew I would have to move out of San Francisco.

Please sign this petition. People may not know that SmartMeters are affecting them. People need to know that SmartMeters are dangerous to the health of all living beings. Children and animals can’t speak for themselves so I am speaking out for them now!

Donna