The World Health Organization (WHO), was the first official entity that declared as “fake news” the rumors that the 5th generation mobile telephony antennas are responsible for the outbreak of the Corona Virus. The European Commission has also followed this example, with the EU expected to soon call upon all national telecommunications regulators to do so domestically as well.
Concerns on new technologies
Every time the world is preparing for the deployment of a new technology, a blurred informational landscape emerges. This landscape usually includes very few views of actual scientists, and several reproductions of online so-called “experts” bombarding the public with their views. The upcoming implementation of 5G networks could not differ. Exaggerations, well-founded concerns, conspiracy theories, and fragmentary reports are all presented simultaneously on various internet pages and social media.
To some extent, social networking organizations responsible for popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. have already taken on the task of protecting consumers from such unreliable publications. Some platforms even delete comments concerning the danger of 5G antennas as carriers of the coronavirus spread.
On April 8, the WHO itself was forced to call as fake news the spread of the coronavirus through mobile phone antennas. “Viruses do not spread through electromagnetic waves and mobile telephony,” it was stated, as many around the world combined the COVID-19 pandemic with the launch of 5G networks in various countries around the world. In addition, the WHO issued a statement that while many countries have been infected with the virus, they do not have 5G mobile networks.
On December 3, 2019, the European Council issued a text of conclusions, stating that 5G is an evolution of 4G technology and will benefit entrepreneurship and public services, telecommunications, and other sectors of the economy.
At the same time, it stresses that the EU has developed a legal framework for dealing with and mitigating cybersecurity risks associated with 5G, regarding a high level of security for networks and information throughout the Union.
5G networks
5G, the next generation of mobile technology, is expected to offer much faster and more reliable connectivity between mobile phones and other devices connected to the internet. Indicatively, speeds are expected to be up to 100 times higher than 4G.
5G networks will use three regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, the low-band with frequencies less than 1 GHz, the mid-band with frequencies between 1 and 6 GHz, and the high-band with frequencies greater than 6 GHz and, mainly, in the range of 26 to 28 GHz. The last frequency range also belongs to the so-called millimeter-wave region. However, in the initial phase of their implementation, 5G networks will use frequencies in the first two areas (low and medium, with 3.5GHz being the main 5G frequency. These frequencies are not far from the ones already used from other telecommunications networks, such as WiFi (areas 2,4 and 5,6 GHz) and 4G networks (mainly at 0.8, 1.8, and 2.6 GHz). As for other technical features of 5G networks, the new networks will be a lot faster in transmitting data than existing technologies. Furthermore, they will take advantage of the fact that the antennas will be able to reshape and change their way of radiation in space. This can be achieved by using beamforming & beam-steering techniques so that they can serve more users faster. 5G systems will also be able to support virtual networks with network slicing to support critical data transmission in case of emergencies, such as crises and natural disasters.
Radiation concerns
At the same time, one of the main differences compared to previous generations (3G, 4G) is that even though huge volumes of data will be transmitted at super-fast speeds, the range and coverage of each network cell will be smaller. For this reason, a larger number of cell-phone stations are required. The latter fact has also raised concerns about radiation and the health risks it can pose. However, it has also led to expected conspiracy theories and arbitrary conclusions.
The concerns raised by some media mainly target this transition to the high-frequency range, i.e., in the range of 26 to 28 GHz, as mentioned above. The number of antennas will depend on the coverage area and the number of users. However, it is a fact that due to natural phenomena during the propagation of electromagnetic radiation, the distance of coverage of an antenna decreases with higher frequencies. However, health issues are not related to the number of antennas but to the exposure to electromagnetic radiation. The number of antennas is not a risk factor when the exposure remains below the limits.
EU next steps
The European Council emphasizes that 5G networks will be part of the critical infrastructure for the operation and maintenance of vital social and economic functions. At the same time, it encourages its Member States to take the necessary measures for the immediate development of the new networks. This way, they will provide citizens with contributing solutions to improve key sectors such as energy, healthcare, and agriculture. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to both cybersecurity and the risks associated with interdependencies between 5G and other critical public and private services.
In this context, the European Commission is planning public information measures and, at the same time, a new institutional framework for the operation of 5G mobile antennas. These measures come as a counterbalance to misinformation and the expansion of the “movement” against mobile phone antennas and especially 5G networks. In numerous countries, including Britain, the Netherlands, etc., there have already been cases of vandalized antenna systems, primarily targeted on those that support the operation of 5G mobile networks. However, due to public ignorance, most damaged systems were 4th generation (4G) mobile telephony antennas wrongly mistaken as those of 5G technology.
The European Commission’s anti-misinformation campaign on mobile telephony will most likely be assigned to the national regulatory authorities. Based on this, the aim will be to spread the message that the electromagnetic (EM) radiation of mobile telephony, including that of 5G technology, is 50 times lower than the limits set by international organizations as dangerous for humans. Also, a key message will be the result of the latest WHO study, which classifies EM radiation risk as “possible cause of carcinogenesis” for humans, at the same level as that of consuming food in brine and definitely a lot lower than that of smoking.
