There was some backlash against BART’s decision a few weeks ago to shut down cell phone and data service in its tunnels to stifle a suspected protest. In a “special meeting” today, they stated that this was a mistake that would only be repeated in the event “at the 9-11 magnitude”.

I first wondered how they were able to “shut down” cell service. This Scientific American article incorrectly claims that all the cell service underground ran on BART’s own WiFi network, which they might have rights to shut down at will. Cell phone service could only be provided by repeaters from the cellular providers themselves. BART’s initial statement on the installation of the system back in 2008 confirms this: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint all cooperated in the installation of repeaters underground.

That presents a bit of a problem. If BART wanted to shut down cell service, they would have to shut down the equipment provided by the cellular companies. EFF Austin has an excellent statement on the matter. Here’s a relevant piece:

We do find it somewhat interesting that the mobile service providers claim to have had no involvement in, or previous knowledge of, the decision and action to take down. If this is true, then it appears there have been at least two separate violations of federal law.

One violation was of section 333 of the Communications Act, on the part of BART. The other is a little more interesting. The cellular companies didn’t know beforehand that BART wanted to take down their repeaters, yet BART was still able to do it. That suggests that they had given at least some control of their hardware over to BART, which violates their FCC licenses. That doesn’t bode well either for BART or for the service providers.

One thing strikes me as ironic. Here’s what happened when BART was originally considering installing the system:

When BART first broached the idea in mid-2001 of wiring its nether regions for wireless reception, many passengers squawked about having to listen to nonstop chatter from cellular phones.

In response, BART conducted a pair of polls — one a random telephone survey, the other an online poll open to anyone with Internet access. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred while the surveys were being taken, and BART officials believe the widely publicized use of cell phones during the attacks persuaded many passengers to support wiring the tunnels.

Nine-eleven was cited as one of the factors that swayed public opinion to favor underground cell service. An emergency like that showcases the invaluable uses of technology in disaster management and recovery. Yet BART now cites that type of emergency as a legitimate reason to shut down the service.

Interesting.

I recently read an article entitled “Why We Should Keep Wi-Fi Off Airplanes” by Scott Belsky. Here’s what he said:

In the era of “reactionary workflow,” when we’re always eager to react, respond, and surf the tops of our many feeds and inboxes, we seldom start a thought on our own. We don’t disconnect for long enough to really think organically, without interruption.

In an era where most thoughts are prompted by a stimulus of the hyper-connected-twitter-e-mail kind, we seldom disconnect long enough to think organically—independent of the stuff we are reacting to.

I’ve pondered this problem before. One of the things I loved when I first got a smartphone was the constant connectivity, no matter whether I was in Wi-Fi range or not. I received emails within minutes of their being sent. Twitter mentions got my immediate attention. Even Facebook notifications came to my home screen. It was great.

Then several months ago, I decided to switch back to a dumbphone and use my iPod Touch for everything else. The thing I loved about the switch was how liberated I felt. No longer was I always connected, with emails and tweets constantly clamoring for my attention. Even when I was in Wi-Fi range, those things weren’t nearly as intrusive. It was wonderful. I could live life disconnected when I wanted to.

One thing I appreciate about religion is the invitation to ponder, meditate, and think. Without that, I would be running around constantly connected and never stopping to think for myself or enjoy life for its own sake. That has become such an important thing for me that I try to devote an entire day to it once a week. Sunday is a welcome break from the noise and distraction of the rest of my life.

Technology has allowed us humans to connect in many ways that were never possible before. But the most fulfilling interactions still come in old-fashioned ways–talking face to face, doing things together, enjoying nature or the arts. Those things prompt independent, “organic” thought, as Scott calls it. That is critical to our functioning as humans.

I disagree that it means we need to keep Wi-Fi off planes. Instead, the desire for thought and meditation ought to be an intrinsic motivator itself that guides us to give it priority.

EDIT (17 Aug 2011): Dave Pell wrote a post today entitled “Does the Internet Make You More Connected?” that I highly recommend. It fits nicely with my thoughts here.