5G has become a popular topic in the media these days, mainly due to the vast technological advancements it will enable. Automated driving, for instance, will only be made feasible through 5G as latency rates in IoT devices will decrease to a level where cars can react to complex traffic scenarios fast enough. Doctors might be able to perform surgeries remotely through 5G and many more use cases will develop out of this technology. Overall, it is expected that 5G will reach standard speeds that are 100 times that of 4G!
What impacts 5G could have on our health, however, is seldom thematized in the news. Every connected device emits electromagnetic radiation. While the frequency of this radiation is considered relatively low, the WHO has classified all frequency radiation as “possibly carcinogenic”. Radio wave bands used for mobile networks are non-ionising, meaning they lack the sufficient energy to break through a human’s skin to break apart DNA and cause cell damage. While this sounds reassuring at first, 5G requires a lot more base stations than 4G due to its shorter reach. This will inevitably increase exposure to radiation. Moreover, part of the 5G spectrum permitted under international guidelines are considered microwave bands, which can generate heat in objects through which they pass.
While studies are yet to find evidence that 5G increases health risks, there’s also no evidence that disproves these claims. In general, due to the relative novelty of the technology most studies are still going on at the moment. Many developed countries have already started the auctioning of 5G licences to providers or even the set up of the network. Olaf Swantee, the CEO of Swiss telecom operator Sunrise recently labeled 5G a “protective force for our environment” because it could help cut carbon emissions as well as the amount of waste society generates through efficiency advancements. But let’s be honest, what else would you expect from a CEO of a telecom provider? In 2017, a petition by doctors and scientists labeled the “5G appeal” has urged the EU to impose a moratorium on 5G rollouts until reliable studies are published due to potential health risks. Furthermore, cities such as Berne, Switzerland and Brussels, Belgium blocked 5G rollout for the time being until these health concerns are reliably disproved.
In my opinion, 5G is going to arrive in any case and it’s only a matter of time until it does globally. There is no way to stop technological advancement, irrespective of potential risks because the upsides are to great. I don’t think that is a bad thing, not necessarily. Nonetheless, rolling out a technology without knowing what repercussions it could have is reckless. If we know what causes these risks, we could also find a way to mitigate them while still benefiting from 5G advancements.
Sources:
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/5g-bad-your-health-it-s-complicated-say-researchers.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48616174
https://www.jrseco.com/european-union-5g-appeal-scientists-warn-of-potential-serious-health-effects-of-5g/
Hey Toshiro,
this was a very interesting read. I believe that there will always a trade-off between the implementation of new technologies and risk avoidance meaning that can never achieve both to the fullest. But overall, I believe that it is a matter of what society values more and how many benefits a new technology will give. With regards to 5G, I believe that the socio-economic advantages will outweigh the risks and problems associated with the technology. Being a leader in the implementation of 5G will go hand-in-hand with outperforming other countries throughout all industries due to the reduction in latency and the increase in transmission speeds. While we do not know about the potential health risks of 5G, we do know more about the potential benefits this technology will have also in regard to healthcare and accident avoidance. Think about how many deaths and injuries can be avoided by autonomous driving and remote robotic surgery?