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The Media Is Overstating the Health Danger of 5G

Misguided caution about the health effects of cellphones and their networks is hindering progress

Alex Wulff
OneZero
Published in
8 min readJan 30, 2020

Photo: Artur Debat/Getty Images

I am a student at Harvard College studying electrical engineering and am in no way affiliated with telecommunications companies or lobbyist groups seeking to expedite the rollout of 5G or activist groups seeking to halt its rollout.

WeWe are on the verge of a communications revolution. The global rollout of 5G could signal an end to competing wireless networks and provide a unified system to connect power-hungry mobile phones and tiny internet of things sensors alike. As the U.S. and the EU argue over the geopolitical risks of 5G expansion and pressure mounts to install more 5G infrastructure, pushback from scientists and citizens threatens to stall progress. So it’s important to ask: Do 5G and other communications infrastructure present a risk to human and animal health?

To answer this question, we first need to explore traditional cellular infrastructure (2G, 3G, and some 4G) and how 5G is changing that. The term “cellular” in “cellular network” comes from the original cell-based layout of phone systems. High-power cell towers serve large overlapping regions, which allowed carriers to rapidly deploy cell networks across the globe. This architecture is still the backbone for cellular service in suburban and rural areas.

These systems operate on lower-frequency portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as lower-frequency waves (around 850 MHz and 1.9 GHz for 3G) are less easily blocked by obstacles. These bands are crowded with devices, and can only support certain maximum speeds. To overcome these limitations, the 5G specification extends communications into higher-frequency bands.

The cell-based architecture of cellular phone networks. Illustrations courtesy of the author.

Millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum is a new band that exceeds 24 GHz and supports ultra-fast communications. Faster speeds come at a price, however. Millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation can barely penetrate through buildings, practically necessitating antennas on every street corner in urban areas. In non-urban areas, any hills or…

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OneZero
OneZero

Published in OneZero

OneZero is a former publication from Medium about the impact of technology on people and the future. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

Alex Wulff
Alex Wulff

Written by Alex Wulff

I'm a Harvard student, maker, and radio enthusiast. Check out my book on radio communications at amzn.to/341cywA and my website at www.AlexWulff.com

Responses (5)

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My more than four decades of research in public health has taught me to be cautious about over-zealous fears or promises when it comes to new technologies. Rather than trust the well-written screed of a Harvard undergrad that spent his summer…

It may be I have latent Luddite leanings but even if I still had the starry eyed optimism of my youth wherein I was hellbent on seeing the promises made in science fiction and “Popular Science” come into existence, I would still be wary about this…

I stopped reading at “There is absolutely no evidence that moderate radio frequency (RF) exposure causes immediate and severe health effects”.
That statement is vacuous even if it were true because it hides behind the qualifiers. What if moderate RF…