A scientist from the United Kingdom has warned that the rollout of 5G networks around the globe should be halted until the technology’s safety has been tested and proven.
According to Professor John William Frank, an epidemiologist and physician at the University of Edinburgh, we should “err on the side of caution” by delaying any further rollout of 5G networks, “pending more conclusive research” on its safety.
Frank made his argument in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Compared to previous-generation technologies, 5G has a higher transmitter density, meaning that it needs more transmitter masts over a given distance. This exposes more people to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields at levels that, Frank argues, could potentially be harmful to human health.
Four key areas of scientific uncertainty have fueled Frank’s concern.
A growing but far from comprehensive body of laboratory research indicating the biological potential of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields is among chief concerns, as well as a lack of clarity about precisely what technology is included in 5G.
Then there’s the almost total lack of high-quality epidemiological studies of the impact on human health of 5G electromagnetic frequency exposure, as well as mounting epidemiological evidence of such effects from previous generations of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure at lower levels.
Frank points out that 5G uses much higher frequency radio waves than previous technologies. It uses very new – and, in terms of safety, unevaluated – supportive technology to enable this higher data transmission capacity.
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