On September 9, 2019, a demonstration took place in The Hague, Netherlands, against 5G technology. Demonstrators fear that the planned installation of tens of thousands of new masts will violate health, radiation, privacy and environmental rights. Michelle Polo/Getty Images
Like all evolving technologies, more details about 5G will continue to emerge, but there’s no doubt that 5G will change your life in profound ways.
But despite all the specs, upgrades and improvements that come with 5G, there are also concerns that the technology could be harmful to human health. do not have We’re talking about the conspiracy theory that 5G caused the spread of COVID-19 and caused a devastating pandemic, which is demonstrably, demonstrably and dangerously false. [source: BBC News]So if you’re one of those who are thinking about burning down 5G to stop COVID-19 and its terrible effects, put down the match.
What some researchers are really worried about are the radiation emitted by 5G’s millimeter wave technology, which is so new that it’s unclear how it will affect human physiology or even animals and plants — something that would require about 800,000 new antenna sites to create sufficient 5G coverage across the country.
The concern is that we humans may not yet understand the long-term effects of RF (radio frequency) radiation, which we could more simply call “radio waves.” Extremely high frequency radio waves can actually destroy DNA and cause serious health problems. These ionizing radio waves, including gamma rays, are known carcinogens that can cause tumors, cancer, and other deadly effects. [source: Behar]However, cell phone signals fall into the category of non-ionizing radiation.
Still, it’s worrying that a $30 million study conducted by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) found that cell phone radiation damaged the DNA of lab rats and also increased the incidence of cancer. [source: Moskowitz].
So far, the NTP and the US Environmental Protection Agency have not classified 5G as potentially dangerous. However, some researchers have noted an increase in the incidence of neck and head tumors around the world, which may or may not be due to the widespread use of cell phones in our society. Even the well-known Mayo Clinic has stated that the link between cell phones and cancer is slight at best, citing a study that looked at cell phone exposure in over 400,000 people over a 20-year period. In other words, there is no confirmed link between these radio waves and cancer.
That’s why experts want you to take a deep breath: 5G signals are just a fraction of the electromagnetic radiation we’re exposed to every day on this planet, they say, and they’ve repeatedly said there’s still no conclusive evidence definitively linking cellphones to cancer or other negative health effects. [source: Finley].
Health issues or not, 5G is coming. And it will be here sooner or later. People who live in cities will be the first to benefit from the massive speed increases this technology will bring. Those who live in suburban and rural areas won’t be far behind. And when the 5G dream finally becomes a reality, your high-tech life will evolve in new ways you might never have imagined.
