The much-awaited advent of 5G technology in some parts of the world, particularly in first world countries, seems to be good news for everyone. But is it true?
A growing number of telecommunications and health experts are mighty concerned about the unknown side effects of 5G technology, clamoring for government officials to study first the health risks of this new wireless communication network.
5G is actually a shortened form of “5th generation wireless system”. The technology actually operates 100 times faster than 4G networks but promises to speed up considerably the operations and reach of smartphones and other wireless devices. This technology is expected to start operating in 2018 in certain countries but will not be widely available until 2020.
Of course, the Philippines is still operating on the 4G bandwidth and a number of provinces, especially those located in inaccessible mountains, still rely on 3G technology for wireless communications. Nevertheless, the new 5G technology is reportedly going to operate on both low-band and high-band frequencies.
High-band frequencies are comprised of millimeter waves (MMW), a kind of electromagnetic (EM) radiation that will be used by the new tech to send and receive humungous amounts of data at very fast speeds. Now, cell phones receive and send data from nearby cell towers in the form of radio frequency radiation.
On the other hand, the MMWs can only access short distances and find it hard to go through solid materials. To operate effectively, the 5G network will need to install many antennas with at least one antenna for every 10-12 houses. The 5G network will then use a MIMO – multiple-input, multiple output technology, a kind of wireless system that will use many transmitters instead of just one. With more transmitters, one can move large amounts of data at break-neck speeds than 4G.
In fact, 4G network towers use four to eight antennas. On the other hand, MIMO systems for 5G towers will need up to 100 antennas per tower to transmit. More capability for transmissions means a higher dose of EM radiation produced. And that is the bad news about 5G technology.
The Health Risks of Higher Radiation from 5G technology
We all know the reports about the radio frequency radiation emitted by cell phones and transmission towers. Dr. Thomas Rau, medical director of the prestigious Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland, asserts that EMFs (electromagnetic fields) from cell phones and wireless wi-fi networks definitely can cause cancer, attention deficit disorder, insomnia, heart arrhythmias, and Parkinson’s disease.
In fact, the WHO already declared cell phone radiation as a “Class B” carcinogen, in the same category as DDT and lead. And recently, a US$25 million study conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s National Toxicology Program indicated an irrefutable link between 2G/3G cell phone radiation and brain cancer in rats – with the researchers asserting that there was “clear evidence of carcinogenicity.”
Another interesting study from Israel indicated that human sweat ducts work like a group of tiny, helix-shaped antennas when exposed to MMWs. Our skin doesn’t just absorb the EM radiation; it also intensifies the effect of MMWs.
Based on a separate study on MMWs, it is discovered that our skin absorbs more than 90% of the radiation transmitted by these waves. This alarms experts who predict that there will be an increase in cases of skin cancers and skin diseases in areas where 5G coverage will be installed.
Not only our skin but a Russian scientific study conducted on lab mice in 2002 showed that the mice exposed to EM radiation in the levels similar to 5G technology greatly weakened the immune system of the mice. An even earlier study on MMWs in 1992 discovered that these frequencies could negatively impact the heart rate of rats. A similar study on frogs also developed the same results of an abnormal heartbeat or rhythm.
Several Japanese and Polish studies also discovered that MMWs could also impact on our eyes. The Polish study concluded that low-level exposure of MMWs triggered the beginnings of eye cataracts in rats. On the other hand, the Japanese study discovered that MMWs causes various thermal injuries to organs.
What do you think of this 5G technology ruining our lives in the future? Send in your opinions through the comments below.
