Childhood-cancer stories do not often enough end with smiling photos and celebrations of survival on social media. But what happens when these survivors become adults who, through a lifetime of hard work, understand the toxic landscape that made them sick in the first place? Their lived experience gives them moral X-ray vision; they see invisible threats others miss, and they’re done being polite.
John Coates, founder of RF Safe, is one of these survivors. This is his story—a journey of loss, discovery, and tireless advocacy, highlighting urgent failures in U.S. radiation policy and laying out a clear agenda: the Clean Ether Act. It’s a call for action to transition from the microwave age (Wi-Fi and Cellular) into a safer, healthier future—the age of Li-Fi (light-based wireless).
The Day the Curtain Closed (1977)
At seven years old, John lay in a military-base hospital ward awaiting surgery to remove his cancer-ridden left kidney. Thick curtains hung around the beds—privacy for the living, heartbreak for families whose children never returned from surgery. John remembers parents sobbing as they returned to collect their children’s belongings from a bed beside him, an image that forever impacted him. Those vanishing children left John haunted by a single question:
“What poisoned us?”
Back in 1977, treatments were harsh. Surgery meant extensive cutting, removing chunks of tissue in a desperate bid to eradicate the cancer.
Engineering Against the Invisible
Growing up on military bases as the son of an aviator, John lived surrounded by radar and microwave transmissions.
Determined to uncover the truth, to understand how things worked, he enrolled at Tidewater Community College at just 15. His relentless quest for answers translated into technological innovations:
Another bedside memory (1995) – A Promise To Fight For The Truth
Lightning struck again nearly two decades later. John’s firstborn daughter died from a neural-tube defect. John made a promise:
“If I ever discover what took you from me, I will fight it every moment I have left on this earth.”
Two years later, a groundbreaking 1997 study linked electromagnetic radiation exposure to neural tube disorders, the very condition that claimed his daughter. The cornerstone of RF Safe was laid in that promise.
- 2003: John patented the world’s first interferometric array antenna, challenging and changing the FCC’s isotropic rule by leveraging the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect vulnerable populations.
- 2021: John patented an advanced Wi-Fi/Li-Fi network system, demonstrating the feasibility of replacing harmful microwave-based wireless technology with safe, efficient light-based networks.
RF Safe: A Quarter-Century of Advocacy
Initially dismissed as fringe, RF Safe’s early warnings have steadily gained scientific validation:
- 2011: The WHO’s IARC classified RF radiation as “possibly carcinogenic” (Group 2B).
- 2018: The U.S. National Toxicology Program found “clear evidence” linking RF exposure to cancer.
- BioInitiative Report: Independent scientists advised at least a 1,500-foot setback for cell towers near schools—a standard currently ignored.
Despite overwhelming evidence, the U.S. government violated its own Public Law 90-602, which mandates continuous research into radiation-emitting products. Shockingly, after the NTP’s landmark 2018 findings, funding was abruptly cut, ending critical research.
2025: The Tower Over the Playground
Today, John’s surviving daughter is a first-grader, attending school only 465 feet from a high-powered cellular tower—far closer than the 1,500-foot minimum recommended by independent scientists. A single paragraph—Section 704 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act—forbids local officials from relocating such towers based on health concerns.
The Clean Ether Act: A Charter for a Safer Future
John’s lifelong mission crystallizes into clear, actionable demands:
- Strip the FCC of RF Health Authority: Transfer responsibility back to the EPA, an agency with legitimate health expertise.
- Enforce and Modernize Public Law 90-602: Immediately resume and continuously fund rigorous RF exposure research.
- Repeal Section 704: Empower local communities to protect themselves based on modern health research.
- Mandate Li-Fi in Public Spaces: Transition schools, hospitals, and public buildings to safe, high-speed Li-Fi networks.
- Require Transparent EIRP Dashboards: Publicly disclose real-time radiation levels from every wireless source.
- Enforce National Setbacks: Minimum of 1,500 feet distance between cell towers and schools or childcare facilities.
A Survivor’s Call to Action
John’s story isn’t about celebrating survival. It’s about honoring a promise:
“I’m here because I made a promise to my dying baby girl in 1995. I will fight what stole my daughter’s life until my last breath. The guilty parties, iggnorance and deceptive practices from those demanding our trust”
Every parent, teacher, planner, or legislator can join this fight:
- Map wireless infrastructure around your child’s daily path.
- Demand real EIRP measurements—not vague assurances.
- Tell your representatives to support the Clean Ether Act and repeal Section 704.
- Share this message to amplify the call for safer, responsible wireless standards.
John’s promise defines his mission, and our choices define our future. Do we remain trapped in the microwave haze, or do we step boldly into the clean, safe, healthier tomorrow that awaits us in the light age?