Baby Monitors vs. Wi-Fi

Ofcom, the British regulatory body in charge of communications, has released a report which states that household radio devices such as baby monitors interfere with Wi-Fi network performance.

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The prevailing belief is that high concentrations of Wi-Fi networks slow down individual network performance, particularly in urban areas. However, Wi-Fi is a radio signal, just like the signal emitted by a mobile phone, or a microwave oven, or... a radio. Signals are generally kept far enough apart on the spectrum to prevent interference (so you don't hear walkie-talkie calls on your mobile phone, at least not anymore), but baby monitors and other such short-range communication devices aren't very well-regulated. Turns out that such devices' signals are creeping in to the 2.4 Ghz range which Wi-Fi occupies, thus gumming up the works.

Incidentally, baby monitors can cause trouble in other ways. Billy Idol was famously caught cheating when his girlfriend overheard what Idol thought was a secret conversation with the Other Woman... because the baby monitor was on.