“I lost my daughter to a birth defect science later tied to electromagnetic fields. That single moment created a mission that has never wavered.”
In July 1995, John Coates held his newborn daughter, Angel Leigh Coates, for just a few hours before she passed from anencephaly — a catastrophic neural tube defect. Two years later, a 1997 laboratory study showed that pulsed electromagnetic fields could induce the exact same defects in chicken embryos. That was the spark.
In 1998, Coates founded RF Safe — not as a business, but as a promise. What began as one father’s refusal to stay silent has become one of the longest-running, most consistent voices in electromagnetic safety advocacy: 27+ years of research, transparent product design, policy pressure, and a refusal to sell false security.
We sat down with John Coates for a rare, wide-ranging interview that covers everything from the very first RF Safe product (a pregnancy belly band) to the groundbreaking TruthCase™ (QuantaCase®), the mechanistic insights behind the “S4-Mito-Spin” framework, the fight that overturned the FCC’s isotropic antenna rule, graphene innovation, the massive research databases, and the ultimate vision: replacing pulsed microwaves indoors with biologically aligned Li-Fi technology.
Q: John, most people discover RF Safe through a phone case. They don’t know the story started with personal tragedy. Can you take us back?
John Coates: “July 23, 1995. That date is burned into me. Angel Leigh was born with anencephaly and lived only hours. In 1997 I came across a study showing pulsed magnetic fields and EMFs could trigger identical neural tube defects in embryos. I made a promise at her graveside: no other parent would lose a child to ignorance about this invisible pollution if I could help it. RF Safe was officially founded in 1998 in Aspen, Colorado — not to sell gadgets, but to learn, expose, and force change.”
Q: What was the very first RF Safe product?
“We started with a pregnancy belly band — the first commercially available RF/EMF-shielded maternity support. It combined microwave shielding fabric with Mu-metal layers to block both RF and strong magnetic fields from occupational or environmental sources. Pregnant women wore it all day. That product taught us the core principle we still live by: protect the most vulnerable first, and never claim more than the physics and biology actually support.”
From there RF Safe expanded into full apparel lines, directional antenna innovations, and the first anti-radiation phone cases in partnership with Aegis Corporation (late 1990s).
Q: You were featured in the Wall Street Journal in 2002. What was that about?
“Our AirTube headsets — the original hollow-tube design that keeps the RF-emitting speaker away from the head. The WSJ Gadget Review (Sept 4, 2002) highlighted them as a legitimate radiation-aware innovation when almost no one was talking about it. That national exposure validated the mission early.”
Q: One of RF Safe’s biggest policy wins came in 2003. Tell us about defeating the FCC’s isotropic rule.
“I invented the Vortis™ directional antenna in 1998. The FCC’s old isotropic rule forced every phone to radiate equally in all directions — unnecessarily blasting the user’s head and body. We petitioned, demonstrated the technology, and in 2003 the FCC changed the rule. That single victory opened the door for modern antenna designs that reduce head exposure industry-wide. It proved that persistent advocacy can move regulators.”
Q: Fast-forward to the mid-2010s. You were early adopters of graphene in shielding. Why?
“Graphene’s conductivity and lightness made it perfect for high-performance, flexible RF shielding without the bulk or signal interference problems of older materials. We released the G-Series (Graphene) phone radiation shields — one of the first consumer products to integrate it at scale. Every product we’ve ever made has been a learning platform: we build it, test it, refine the science, then teach the public what actually works and what doesn’t.”
Q: Let’s talk about the flagship product today — the TruthCase™ / QuantaCase®. Why does it look and behave so differently from every other “anti-radiation” case?
“Because we refuse to sell the lie. Most cases use metal loops, magnets, or full-wrap shielding that makes the phone ramp up power (increasing exposure). The TruthCase is directional: the conductive flap sits between you and the phone. It flips into a natural teacup-handle grip that forces distance. It becomes a built-in stand. And we have never put a fake “99% blocked” number on it — because the science (NTP effects at the lowest tested level of 1.5 W/kg, Ramazzini tumors at 0.1 W/kg, non-linear responses) shows that even big reductions don’t magically create a proven-safe zone.
The TruthCase exists to teach three things at once: biology, physics, and policy. It’s the case designed to help end the need for cases.”
Q: You often mention the “S4-Mito-Spin” framework. What is that?
“It’s our synthesis of how RF interacts with cellular energy systems — the Signal → Stress → Spin → Shift cascade. RF can disrupt voltage-gated channels → oxidative stress (ROS) → mitochondrial dysfunction (the “spin” of electron transport chain disruption) → metabolic and developmental shifts. It’s why we see insulin signaling changes, hypothalamic effects, sleep disruption, and developmental programming in the literature. It’s not speculation; it’s the mechanistic bridge between lab studies and real-world advocacy.”
Q: RF Safe maintains one of the largest independent EMF research resources in the world.
“Over 6,572 peer-reviewed studies categorized on our site. Roughly 60.8% show biological interaction (harm, mixed, or even benefit — all prove non-thermal responsiveness). We also run the only public side-by-side database of 120 modern phones across all six FCC SAR test positions. Transparency is everything. People deserve the raw data, not marketing spin.”
Q: After 30 years, what’s the end game? You hold a patent on advanced Li-Fi technology.
“Exactly. Patent US11700058B2 (granted to me as inventor) is a Far-UVC Li-Fi system with built-in bio-defense mode — gigabit data transmission using germicidal 219 nm light that can also continuously disinfect air and surfaces while people are present. Light is life’s native spectrum. Indoor wireless should be light-based (Li-Fi) with fiber backbones. Outdoor RF where necessary. That’s the Clean Ether future: policy-driven, biology-first networking.
Products are bridges. The real solutions are updated safety standards that include non-thermal mechanisms, repeal of Section 704 preemption, wired classrooms for kids, and widespread Li-Fi adoption.”
Q: Final message to parents, policymakers, and skeptics?
“To parents: distance > dose, speakerphone or AirTube preferred, airplane mode at night. Use the TruthCase correctly if you must use a phone — but know it’s a temporary tool, not the solution. To policymakers: the thermal-only model from 1996 is obsolete. Children are not miniature adults. Update the rules. To everyone: this isn’t anti-technology. It’s pro-better-technology. The Microwave Age was an engineering triumph. The Light Age is the next step — higher fidelity, lower biological burden.
I made a promise to Angel in 1995. For 30 years RF Safe has kept it. Now we need your voice to finish it.”
RF Safe — Making the Invisible Visible Since 1998 https://rfsafe.com TruthCase™ / QuantaCase® • Research Databases • Clean Ether Act Advocacy
Share this interview. Send it to your school board, your representatives, and every parent you know. The science has been here. The solutions exist. The only missing piece is political will.
Protect the next generation — demand a biologically aligned wireless future. The ether belongs to our children. Let’s clean it.
