5G has been in the public eye a lot lately – the hot new technology that some say will revolutionize the world. Some people seem to think it will propel human civilization to push it into the realm of sci-fi, while others think it will be the doom of us all. So which side is right? Does 5G actually pose a threat to human beings?
The 5G COVID-19 Conspiracy
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, the event roughly coincided with news on the development and implementation of 5G networks, which gave rise to a rather amusing conspiracy theory. The gist of it was that COVID-19 was somehow caused or enabled by 5W waves. Many people with less than stellar understanding of both the subject of 5G or COVID-19 made it their business to confuse correlation with causation in a rather spectacular fashion repeatedly.
Needless to say, the theories linking 5G to COVID-19 are scientifically unsubstantiated. COVID-19 is a virus that is transmitted via respiratory droplets. This means it can’t really be transmitted via 5G waves. A more plausible-looking theory claimed that 5G weakens people’s immune systems, making them more susceptible to the virus. However, there seems to be no scientific evidence to confirm that claim in any way, shape, or form. It is, at the end of the day, just a wild rumor.
However, this is not to say that there are no legitimate concerns about health risks related to 5G.
Legitimate Health Concerns About 5G
Many scientists and people with actual credentials have expressed concerns over the effects of 5G on human health. Their main point of contention seems to be the fact that the long term effects of the mass implementation of 5G technology and others like it in close proximity with humans have not been studied.
One renowned critic of 5G and its rushed implementation in the West is the director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, USA, David Carpenter. A professor and respected expert in his field, he has expressed concern about the marked increase in the number of cancer cases that he claims are resulting from exposure to electromagnetic fields.
An Italian scientist and consultant at the Hospital of Bisceglie has also expressed concern over the ability of 5G to alter genes and cells. Agostino Di Ciaula, a respected biomedical researcher at said hospital, urges caution in exposing the populace to radiation from the number of towers necessary for a 5G network.
The Swiss Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS), which researches the quality of electromagnetic technologies, has also warned that technical standards need to be revised in order to ensure the safety of its users.
Furthermore, professor Ernst von Weizsäcker, one of the foremost experts on environmental policy in Germany, has expressed concern over the mass deployment of 5G, calling for it to be delayed until further studies on the effects of non-ionizing radiation and its risks are conducted.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) with The World Health Organisation (WHO) seems to agree with these scientists, as it has classified electromagnetic field radiation, which also includes 5G radiation, as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in 2011. This is why in April 2019, IARC identified non-ionizing radiation as a high priority for further study.
Allaying the Concerns About 5G
Public Health England (PHE) has issued a statement that both independent expert groups in the UK and abroad have concluded that as long as EMF exposures are below international guideline levels, adverse health effects are unlikely to occur in humans exposed to 5G radiation. Studies done by the UK Health Protection Agency seem to back that statement up as well.
The Food and Drink Administration in the USA has also agreed that 5G isn’t dangerous, claiming that the bulk of scientific evidence does not indicate a direct causal link between exposure to 5g and similar EMF and adverse health outcomes.
The GSM Association is an organization representing the interests of over 1150 companies related to mobile networks and the wider mobile industry worldwide. The organization has invested more than 10 million in funding bodies that conduct independent research into the effects of electromagnetic radiation on human health. GSMA’s senior director for research and sustainability, Jack Rowley, claims that all studies clearly show that mobile phone radiation is not hazardous to humans.
In Conclusion
The only thing related to 5G that the scientific world seems to be in agreement with is that more research on the subject is needed to ascertain its effects on humans. Some scientists claim that it may be a contributing factor to the deterioration of public health, while others are steadfast in their belief that 5G is unlikely to cause significant adverse health effects.
What we do know for certain is that 5G is being rolled out across the UK, as well as many other countries around the world, and will be the norm sooner rather than later. If you wish to partake, you may want to upgrade your mobile so you could take full advantage of its capabilities. Currently, the best way to choose your new mobile device is to utilize a mobile phone comparison website that can assist you in selecting the best device for your needs and preferences.