If you’re at all interested in the wireless space, chances are you have been reading quite a lot about 5G over the last year or two. T-Mobile has already launched their nationwide 5G network, and many other carriers are close on their heels. Now that 5G is starting to actually arrive, an increasing number of people are starting to wonder: Is 5G safe? Let’s take a closer look.
5G is the fifth-generation of cellular network technology. The new network promises lightning fast speeds, the likes of which consumers have never had available to them before. Since 5G is a cellular signal, service areas are covered in the 5G signal. That constant signal is the root of many people’s safety concerns about the service. Concerned consumers believe that since the 5G signal is even more powerful than the current 4G LTE that radiation exposure will become a concern.
The Federal Communications Commision (FCC) recently weighed in on these concerns. According to the FCC, consumers will not be introduced to more radiation due to 5G network exposure. The government entity expounded on that conclusion, iterating that they had been studying the risks and concerns of the public for the last six years and found no convincing evidence of any danger.
As a result, FCC regulators unanimously voted to allow the public rollout of 5G networks to continue with no federally enforced safety limits. Exposure standards will stay the same for the radio-frequency cell phones and antennas emit and for consumer devices and equipment used on rooftops and cell towers.
The FCC points to current medical standards when they say that there is no link between cellphone-radio frequency and cancer. However, just because the medical community has not proven a connection, that does not mean one does not exist. 5gInsider points this out, writing that
“The National Toxicology Program (NTP) inside the Health and Human Services (HHS) found a link between radio frequency radiation and cancer in male rats. Over the past few decades, the NTP has been conducting a study on rats by exposing them to levels of radiation higher than what we humans would experience when using a cellphone.”
5G is already here, and more networks are going to pop up from more carriers as time goes on. As with all new technology, it’s imperative of the medical community to study the effects of its use. The truth is we won’t know for certain the effects of long-term exposure for some time. The jury is still out on long-term smartphone use. For now, there’s no reason to panic but as will all things—moderation is key.
Sources:
https://5ginsider.com/technology/fcc-says-5g-is-safe-from-radiation/
