Is 5G Slowly Killing Us? | Unveiled

Is 5G Slowly Killing Us?

Given the current pace of technological change, the world can be a scary place. While some of us embrace these changes, others prefer to err on the side of caution . . . and in some cases have been proven right to worry!

This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question: Is 5G slowly killing us?

5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology, rolled out commercially in 2019. By using higher frequency radio waves, it provides a much faster connection to the internet for cell phones and other devices. In fact, it’s supposed to be at least ten times faster than 4G LTE. For the time-being, it’s only live in a few cities, like London and New York, so coverage remains spotty. But already, concerns about how much infrastructure will have to be built are dominating much of the discussion. Anti-5G activists around the world are already petitioning local councils to block the technology, out of concern that the radio waves it uses could be dangerous. There are worries about the abundance of “electromagnetic interference” in the world, and that the waves might be carcinogenic and affect child development.

First, let’s get something straight about radio waves. The electromagnetic spectrum is vast, home to all sorts of different waves, from dangerous gamma rays, to visible light, and radio waves. These all count as electromagnetic “radiation”, since “radiation” refers to the transmission of energy as waves or particles through space. For some, the fact that cell phones emit “radiation” is proof enough that the devices are dangerous. But not all “radiation” is bad for us. It all depends on the wavelength of the radiation in question. Gamma rays, for example, have extremely short wavelengths, which means they pack more of a punch and can knock electrons out of their orbits around atomic nuclei. This is known as “ionizing radiation”, and it can damage DNA and cause danger. Radio waves, however, travel at much longer wavelengths, and are therefore NON-ionizing.

What frightens people about 5G is the fact that the wavelengths ARE much shorter than those for 4G, using something called “millimeter waves”. But these “millimeter waves” have nowhere near the frequencies of gamma rays, or X-rays. Like other radio waves, they’re non-ionizing. That hasn’t stopped people from worrying though.

Of course, ever since the first mobile phone went on sale in the 1980s, people have been wary. Rumors that phones can give you cancer have pervaded pop culture and the media. Critics claim that their effects haven’t been properly tested. But . . . that isn’t actually true. In fact, in the last decades, many studies have been undertaken, and none have established that cell phones have adverse health effects. The World Health Organization DOES list radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic”, meaning that it can’t be completely ruled out without further studies. But so far, even though our cell phone use has exploded in recent years, there’s been no commensurate increase in brain tumours or cancers, once we adjust for improved diagnostic techniques.

There is a real and growing anti-5G movement however, fuelled by lots of misinformation about its alleged dangers. Its principal champions include Dutch “UFO researcher” John Kuhles and alleged Russian propaganda outlet RT America, who warn of an approaching “5G Apocalypse”. The outlet has been accused of pushing the conspiracy to delay the US in its implementation of 5G, so that Russia can develop superior infrastructure - although it’s a theory that’s pretty tough to prove. Either way, the movements are becoming so prevalent that in the lead up to 2019’s Glastonbury Festival, mobile network operator EE had to put together a community outreach program to address fears about their 5G trial.

According to some conspiracy theorists, corporations and governments KNOW that 5G is dangerous, and want to roll it out anyway. But that . . . doesn’t make a lot of sense. In time, the technology will become pervasive, and replace 4G. Why would people want to harm not only their own citizens, or customers, but also themselves and their families? Installing 5G is also an incredibly expensive undertaking, estimated by some to be in the billions of dollars. Why go to all that trouble and spend all that money, for a technology that would ultimately have to be dismantled in light of further studies?

This doesn’t mean that 5G is perfect, however. There are people who are sceptical for good reasons, because it DOES have drawbacks. While it’s many times faster than 4G, it has a much shorter range – only 1,000 feet compared to 4G’s 10 miles. This means that we’ll need antennae and receivers all over the place to gain consistent 5G coverage. It’s the installation of these that will cost so much money.

While this might not cost consumers, buying a fancy 5G phone will. At the time of writing, there were barely half a dozen 5G handsets available for purchase. And while more will inevitably become available, it’ll take years for them to come down in price. Smartphones are already expensive investments, so paying an additional 300 bucks or so to get one with 5G, when 5G isn’t even available yet in most parts of the world, is something that few people can justify. It won’t kill you, but it might kill your bank account.

Another big issue is that 5G waves are more easily blocked than 4G waves, including by trees, so getting super-fast coverage to rural areas would be even more difficult than it is already.

As far as the anti-5G movement is concerned, however, this is merely a case of history repeating itself. People are always scared of change, especially technological change, and often view it as frightening and unnecessary. Take for example the adoption of electric lighting. You probably think nothing of the electric light bulbs you have in your home. But a little over a century ago, many people hated the thought of electric lighting becoming the norm, despite the problems with gas lighting. Electric lights in the home were adopted slowly and grudgingly, with frightening stories about the dangers of electricity circulating everywhere. People worried that installing all that electric wiring would be like inviting lightning into their home. But ultimately, the technology won out, and these ideas seem almost absurd to us today. What’s more concerning than 5G is the misinformation that circulates around it. And there are still a few years before it becomes a global reality.

As far as we know, based on existing studies, cell-phone cancer is just another scary story doing the rounds online, right as a new and misunderstood technology is about to be embraced. And that’s why 5G isn’t slowly killing us.