5G - The Improvement Nobody Needs

Let's say your company has a new product. It is heavily invested in its development and so markets it heavily and, because people have become dependent upon earlier versions, it is in a position to force people to use. At the same time that your company is aggressively marketing the product to consumers, it is warning its shareholders to expect lawsuits over alleged negative health impacts and eventual regulatory restrictions. Even people who never use it will be affected by it, and perhaps not in a good way. Do you proceed with the rollout?

You do if you are a wireless company and your new product is 5G service.

The main concerns regarding 5G are a result of its use of much higher frequency radiation to transmit data at much higher speed. This will be the first time that such high-frequency waves would be used on such a large scale. Admittedly, 5G will enable more than just downloading movies to your phone faster. The technology will also lay the foundation for things like self-driving cars and myriad smart devices.

But while this allows for a faster transfer of data, the higher frequency waves can’t travel though buildings or bad weather very well. Therefore wireless providers need to put 5G emitter cell towers everywhere from utility poles to parking garages. The technology requires millions of small cell transmitters that emit non-ionizing radiation. Because of this doctors began raising concerns about health risks, including the possibility of cancer and the impact on brain development. Many groups pressed the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its decision not to review its 1996 health and safety guidelines for wireless-based technologies, including 5G. The Children’s Health Defense Fund took the challenge to court.

You have no say about where these emitting towers will be placed. One could be right outside your home. These emitters, more than a million of them, will more than triple your exposure to microwave radiation. One of the ironies of all this is that 5G will do exactly nothing to improve the reception of voice calls. It simply allows for much faster data transfer speed. So if you mostly use your phone as a phone, you will be taking on much more risk for no benefit at all.

The Environmental Health Trust offers the following suggestions for reducing your radiation exposure somewhat (but you will not be able to avoid it).

Don't carry your 5G phone in your pocket if possible. When you are not using it, power it off.

When using it for calls, use an earpiece to keep the phone away from your head. Failing that, use the speaker.

Don't sleep with your phone close. Better, turn it off.

If you have a landline at home, keep it and use it. Hold on to your 4G phone as long as possible. (The wireless companies will force you to upgrade eventually, whether you want to or not. And even if you don't the emitter towers will still impact you.)

Engage with your community to try to keep 5G towers away from schools, hospitals and homes. (Wireless companies are pouring millions of dollars into local politics, so eventually you will lose this fight.)

If you want to educate yourself about this issue, a great book to start with is "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family", by Devra Lee Davis.