Scientists working at the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) have deemed 5G to be safe, stating that there is absolutely “no evidence” that 5G networks have the potential to cause cancer or other illnesses.
“We know parts of the community are concerned about the safety of 5G, and we hope the updated guidelines will help put people at ease," said Dr Eric van Rongen, chairman of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
The ICNIRP research also considered all other types of effects, for instance, whether radio waves could lead to the development of cancer in the human body.
“We find that the scientific evidence for that is not enough to conclude that indeed there is such an effect,” said van Rongen.
Ofcom tests 5G mast sites
"Twenty years of research should reassure people there are no established health risks from their mobile devices or 5G antennas."
John Giusti, GSMA.
Meanwhile, the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has been testing 5G towers to check that emissions aren’t exceeding safe guidelines. Ofcom has tested 16 sites so far, and has found that radiation emissions were "a small fraction" of what was allowed. The highest reading was just 1.5% of the maximum level permitted.
"Twenty years of research should reassure people there are no established health risks from their mobile devices or 5G antennas," said GSMA chief regulatory officer John Giusti.
And despite these findings, it has been announced that new guidelines will be introduced to increase protection for emerging 5G technology, which operates on higher frequencies. This is significant, as it’s the first time since 1988 that guidelines protecting humans from mobile radiation have been updated. But the new rules won’t apply to 5G phone masts, focussing specifically on 5G phones and devices.
Sadly, none of this news is likely to stop the growing number of protest groups that believe 5G technology is potentially dangerous. And the fact that the research stated that 5G radiation did “slightly heat human body tissue” – although with no evidence of harm – is bound to be used out of context by those people already convinced of 5G dangers.
