By Teague Peterson | City of Hoard, Carpenter County

If you’ve been sneaking onto your phone after lights out like the rest of us, I’m sure you’ve noticed the WiFi disappears right around 11 pm.

This controversy is particularly awful for those of us with limited data plans and it’s outrageous not only that this policy exists, but also that counselors didn’t inform citizens of its existence.

I urge candidates from both parties to take a stand to repeal this policy as soon as possible.

Data is expensive and while many citizens don’t have great cell service here at Ripon, our phones will still switch over to 3G or 4G when the counselors switch off the WiFi at the end of the night.

For those of us on a limited data plan, promising us WiFi and then switching it off without warning has resulted in costly overage fees. Citizens with limited data plans are advised to make sure their data is turned off by lights out until this policy can be repealed.

We use a plethora of apps in this day and age which require the Internet to communicate with each other, our friends back home, and our parents. With packed schedules all day, the only free time we have to communicate with the folks back home is right before and after lights out, but with the WiFi shut off, contacting them at that time is nearly impossible.

The shut off also runs the risk of eliminating the fastest means of communication during any possible crises that may occur in the night.

While the counselors certainly have valid reasons for wanting to limit our cell phone use at night, shutting off the WiFi is not justified. The fact that we’re rushing full speed ahead through 16-hour action packed days is enough to get us to collapse into bed at 11.

Even if citizens are using their phones after lights out, it’s only for a short while. Shutting off the WiFi doesn’t encourage us to fall asleep faster, it simply penalizes those of us without unlimited data plans.

Moving forward both the Nationalists and Federalists should do their best to repeal this policy, as this issue has detrimental effects on all citizens. WiFi access is an integral part of our lives, and its’ impact and importance doesn’t end after lights out.