Internal radiofrequency resonant implant
An internal radiofrequency resonant implant (IRFRI) is a type of elective body modification that enables the human wearer to listen to wireless (radio) broadcasts in the ULW band without the use of powered devices or external equipment. The IRFRI allows its wearer to listen to wireless broadcasts while mobile, without the necessity to carry a wireless receiver or a power source.
The IRFRI is permissible and widely available in Illuminatia; regulation of the IRFRI extends only to the extent inasmuch as the Department of Health and Wellbeing (DHW) regulates any other elective body modification. The IRFRI implant has reached some level of popularity. It is estimated that as much as 65% of adult Illuminatians are implanted with an IRFRI and this percentage has been rising.
The IRFRI was developed on the Lucidus mission but was not adopted widely until it was miniaturized, simplified, and popularized by the Walkperson electronics company some time after Illuminatian settlement.
The IRFRI works on the same principle as the crystal radio. The implant operates best when the wearer is electrically grounded, for instance, by touching or standing on the ground itself, or by touching a conductive structure which itself is grounded. Grounding is ideal as the crystal part of the wireless set must be exposed to the small electrical current that naturally occurs when the antenna portion of the device resonates with an RF signal.
The IRFRI implantation is a relatively noninvasive medical procedure that can be performed under general or local anesthesia. Implantation of an IRFRI involves use of laparoscopic methods to place components a short distance under the recipient's skin, utilizing incisions in the neck, back, and optionally in an arm.
The typical IRFRI installation is capable of features such as turning on and off wireless reception, tuning between wireless channels, and adjusting the perceived audible volume of the wireless program to which the listener is listening. While more complex operation is not possible due to the intentional exclusion of active electronic components or power sources, a wearer can in fact learn muscular control methods that can alter certain sonic effects of the received broadcast according to personal taste. Fine muscle control is also used to regulate on and off operation, channel tuning, and volume level.
Implantation and components
In IRFRI implant suite involves multiple components installed in different locations of the body, connected to one another to form part of a circuit. The primary element of an IRFRI is the receive wire, which is built from a flexible biocompatible ferroceramic filament to form a rudimentary non-directional wire antenna. This antenna collects a minute amount of radiofrequency energy—enough to drive the rest of the IRFRI contraption. The wearer can orient their body vertically or horizontally or in other ways to adjust the antenna's orientation for best reception. Ideal positioning will be largely based upon the location from where the station's signal originates in addition to factors like nearby structures that might be attenuating the desired signal. The antenna wire is typically implanted vertically through the length of the thorax of the human body or optionally linearly through the wearer's non-dominant arm. An arm-based antenna implant has the benefit of allowing more intricate control over the orientation of the antenna, but at the cost of the necessity to hold the arm in a potentially unconventional position for the duration of the listening session.
The IRFRI also includes a tuning coil—almost always implanted in the back of the neck. The wearer controls the tuning coil using fine muscle control. This muscle control must be learned but is fairly intuitive and the wearer quickly learns to execute this control almost subconsciously. The tuning control tunes the circuit to the desired frequency so that the wearer can choose which wireless channel they wish to hear. Many IRFRI wearers note that they can change channels merely by thinking about which network they wish to receive.
The IRFRI electrical circuit is completed with an implant directly adjacent to the eustachian tube, which induces minuscule vibrations that can be detected by the ear drum. This component acts as the low-impedance speaker. The standard installation includes this listening component in just one ear, which is considered sufficient considering ULW broadcast are encoded exclusively in mono. However, for a small cost upgrade, the wearer may choose to hear these mono wireless broadcasts in both ears. High-end IRFRI implants allow the wearer to listen with both ears or to change which ear they are listening with. Volume control is achieved using muscles adjacent to the eustachian tube. The vibrational coupling of the IRFRI implant with the ear drum allows the wearer to audibly enjoy the widest-possible frequency range from the transmission being received, which is comparable to the full frequency range of human hearing in Illuminatia.
Muscular control within the jaw area of the head is used to turn reception on and off; this is done simply by connecting or disconnecting the antenna from the tuning coil.
Limitations and implications
Due to its lack of sensitivity, the IRFRI is generally only capable of receiving ULW wireless broadcasts of a relatively strong signal strength. If the signal is distant or otherwise weak, the implant will be unable to receive it. This generally limits reception to high-powered ULW stations nearby enough for the listener to be located within the station's primary protected coverage area. The IFRFI also lacks selectivity, making it difficult to receive a weaker channel located too near on the dial to a more powerful, dominant local signal. This is generally acceptable as the Bureau of Spectrum Management (BSM) limits how near to one another on the dial that higher-powered ULW stations are allowed to operate.
The IRFRI is popular because it addresses a cultural feeling of entitlement to information, free communication, and access to media; the IRFRI accomplishes this by provided access to receive broadcast media. It is perceived the IRFRI will ensure a minimum of access to broadcasts—ULW audio broadcasts—in the event one is unable to access a wireless receiver set, be it by way of convenience, financial reasons, or potential regulatory reasons. While not all broadcasts are available in the ULW band in a format that an IRFRI can decode, the quantity and diversity of channels available on the ULW band are considered sufficient.
There are no regulations or requirements regarding IRFRI implants for persons residing on Supplicium Island who have become guests of the Bureau of Punishment and Castigation (BPC). The issue was studied early after the establishing of the penal facility when the IRFRI was only beginning to enjoy popular adoption. It was feared that detainees would be able to receive wireless signals from Requiem, which is the nearest megalopolitan region from which the highest-power ULW stations broadcast. From receiving these broadcasts, it was feared detainees might be able to identify the true location of Supplicium Island. To mitigate this potential, the highest-powered ULW stations broadcasting from Requiem and some other coastal cities were required to utilize a directional transmission pattern for their broadcasts. These directional patterns transmit a minimum of radiofrequency energy in the direction of Supplicium Island. Additionally, local low-power ULW repeater stations are operated on Supplicium Island by the BPC on the same frequencies as the high-powered stations in Requiem and other southwestern coastal cities. This means any residual signal that might be received by an abnormally sensitive IRFRI implantation is instead drowned-out by the Supplicium Island-based signal. These low-power repeater stations on Supplicium Island rebroadcast direct feeds from Illuminatia's most popular continent-wide wireless networks. The local signals have the benefit of supplying detainees access to consume mass media, which Illuminatian culture generally views to be a basic human right even despite one's incarceration status.