The progress made in wireless communications is one of the reasons that lead to exponential growth in the mobile devices industry. The evolution from 2G to 3G, and from 3G to 4G, provided significant performance enhancements and new capabilities that allowed mobile technology to become an integral part of everyday life. We live in a period that practically all generations are technologically literate, from Generation Z (2000-present) back to the Silent Generation (1925-1945), almost everyone has access to a smartphone or tablet, and therefore, internet. Many advancements were enabled by the evolution of the networks, as the example of 4G and LTE technologies that enabled video streaming and live gaming. The increasing number of applications that require a different and more capable bandwidth, such as Virtual and Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence, created the need for a new standard called 5G. This is the first generation of mobile networks that can make the communication link between machines, facilitating the introduction and development of emerging technologies, such as self-driving cars, serverless applications, IoT devices, time-sensitive telemedicine or even smart cities (McCaskill, 2019). It looks straightforward, as 5G is just another iteration of a wireless communication system that aims to deliver faster data speeds and handle more users. But it isn’t, having its risks.
The electromagnetic radiation used by mobile phone technologies is leading some experts to worry about the health risks that may arise from it, including certain types of cancer. The World Health Organization declared that there are no adverse health effects, even though they classified all the frequencies from mobile signals as “possibly carcinogenic”. Experts in radiology have figured out that it is not a risk for now (Broad, 2019), but according to predictions of 5G smartphone subscriptions of 1.9bn by 2024, it could be harmful (Short, 2019).
The main of the 5G network is security and privacy. There will be an increased volume and variety of information, as everything from your car to your refrigerator will now have access to high-speed connectivity, and this creates more opportunities for attack. With these developments, the scope for cybercriminals would be potentially limitless, as they are able to access everything that is enabled with 5G, such as cameras, cars, and other applications with Artificial Intelligence, and can more easily “hide”, as the data flow will be much higher (McCaskill, 2019). A problem of political tensions has come up between the United States and China, as the 5G race occupies the cultural void of the space race from the ‘60s, and the most successful country in implementing the 5G will assure global technological dominance (Short, 2019).
The benefits of having a faster, more efficient broadband and decreased latency are visible, however, the problems that may arise are nothing to disregard.
References:
McCaskill (2019). 5G security: does more data mean increased risk? [online] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/news/5g-security-how-more-data-means-bigger-risks [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019]
Broad (2019). The 5G Health Hazard That Isn’t. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/science/5g-cellphones-wireless-cancer.html [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019]
Short (2019). What kind of cybersecurity threats does 5G pose? [online] Available at: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/5g-security-risks-threat-cybersecurity [Accessed 3 Oct. 2019]
Hi Carolina! Since I also wrote an article on the possible health effects of 5G, it was interesting to see someone else’s perspective on the topic. While I personally did not focus on the World Health Organization, I did come across some information regarding their classification while doing research. I can see how the label ‘possible carcinogenic’ can lead to concerns. However, it is worth noticing that the associated classification group (group 2B) also contains aloë vera and pickled vegetables (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326141.php). While the WHO was necessitated to give this label due to a lack of evidence on hazardous effects of 5G, it might lead to (possibly unfounded) apprehension amongst citizens. Aside from the uncertain health consequences, phrases like ‘security threats’ and ‘espionage’ are often mentioned when talking about the faster network. Since there is a lack of transparency about the ownership of Huawei, the number 1 provider of 5G, it is speculated that the Chinese government will use its ties to the company to get access to governmental and business data in countries adopting 5G. While both Ericson and Nokia are providers of 5G as well, these companies are far behind Huawei. Along with the favourable prices Huawei can offer, this makes governments still lead towards the Chinese company (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5w6L3aB74w&t=491s). Do you think it is reasonable that Huawei is still considered as a 5G provider despite the possible security threats because of the great advantages the company can offer? Or do you think the accusations against Huawei are not substantial in the first place?