5G

5G  (communications technology)
Interest of	• Ludwig De Braeckeleer • Maryanne Demasi • Sue Grey • Katherine Horton • David Icke • Hervé Juvin • Lia Quartapelle • Fred Streefland • Clare Swinney
Predecessor(s)	4G

5G is a marketing term for a variety of new mobile phone technologies that use very high frequency (GHz) parts of the radiospectrum to allow increased speed of data transfer. It has prompted unprecedented calls for a review of health effects and has widely been criticised for breaching the precautionary principle.

Rollout

In September 2018 the Federal Communications Commission restricted cities' ability to regulate 5G infrastructure. Their decision was criticised by the US Conference of Mayors, whose CEO stated that “The [FCC] has embarked on an unprecedented federal intrusion into local (and state) government property rights that will have substantial and continuing adverse impacts on cities and their taxpayers.”

A demonstration of 5G was launched in Wuhan in late 2019.

Concerns

As well as a high speed communication system, 5G may have health implications. It could potentially be used to target particular individuals for damaging radiation.

Health

Hundreds of scientists have registered their concerns about the health impacts of 5G technology, observing that "Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plants and animals." It is suspected to exert an "oxidative" stress on cells, to which some people are particularly susceptible. The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, recommended circumspection (Umsicht) in deployment of 5G, and called for further research.

Legal concerns

Asked to investigate the legal status of a 5G deployment in Denmark, Christian Jensen of Bonner Advocater produced a 64 page report which concluded as follows:

“It is the conclusion of this legal opinion that establishing and activating a 5G-network, as it is currently described, would be in contravention of current human and environmental laws enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, EU regulations, and the Bern- and Bonn-conventions. The reason is the very significant body of scientific documentation available, showing that radio frequent electromagnetic radiation is harmful and dangerous to the health of humans (particularly children), animals and plants.”
Christian Jensen (April 2019) 

Security concerns

In 2019, the French parliament passed what was dubbed the “Huawei Law”, to give the government the legal right to security vet 5G rollouts in the country.

Performance concerns

A May 2019 report in Semiconductor Engineering claimed that "5G Heats Up Base Stations", threatening reliability and signal integrity when in heavy use.

Postponements

Various local governments have moved to block the local rollout of 5G, generally citing health concerns.

Belgium

A pilot project to try 5G deployment in Brussels was suspended in April 2019 due to concern that it would contravene radiospectrum emission laws and might be injurious to health. The Belgian Environment Minister, Céline Fremault stated that “The people of Brussels are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit.”

Italy

In March 2019, Florence became the first Italian city to halt 5G deployment, also due to the precautionary principle. A district of Rome has also voted against 5G.

Netherlands

In March 2019, Utrecht City Council decided unanimously to postpone decision-making on 4G and 5G infrastructure on new lamp posts until the risks to health and privacy were better understood.

Switzerland

Switzerland's third mot populous canton, Vaud, imposed a temporary moratorium on 5G antennas until it received the report about them from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment.

The canton government of Geneva declared a preliminary moratorium on the 5G rollout there due to concern about health risks.

Thousands of people protested in Bern in September 2019 against the rollout of 5G.

UK

In October 2019, a UK town council voted to block 5g deployment.

US

In 2018, a Californian town council voted unanimously to suspend local 5G deployment.

 

Related Documents

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:5G Trade Wars: the US Empire Strikes Back	Article	16 May 2019	George Kerevan	The global 5G marketplace in the control of private monopoly capitalism will result in something akin to Orwell’s 1984 nightmare. That will turn every man, woman and child on the planet into a consumer automaton monitored continuously by big business.
Document:MPs given guide to spotting conspiracy theories	Article	10 May 2024	Marianna Spring Jennifer McKiernan	Penny Mordaunt has commissioned a booklet for MPs on conspiracy theories.
Document:The Big Picture, Easter 2020	Facebook post	12 April 2020	Michael Buergermeister	The aim of the lockdown seems to be threefold: to destroy the economy, distract attention from the introduction of 5G and to terrorise the populace into accepting voluntary vaccination, which would be its death knell.
Document:The Curious Case Of Russia’s Contradictory Stance Towards 5G Technology	Article	18 May 2019	Andrew Korybko	While RT is telling the English-language international audience to be wary of 5G technology, the Russian state itself is already experimenting with it and doesn’t seem the least bit concerned about the potential health effects that it could have on its people.

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