5G is safe and poses ‘no health risks’ says radiation watchdog

5G is safe and poses ‘no health risks’ according to the radiation watchdog ICNIRP – as it sets out to quell rising conspiracy theories about the impact of mobile radiation.

The number of theories about the impact of 5G on the human body has been rising, with some groups claiming it can cause male infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s. 

The watchdog found no risks of cancer or other illnesses from exposure to the frequencies used in fifth generation networks – after studying seven years of data.

They have introduced new guidelines for device manufacturers that limit the use of the highest- 6Ghz – parts of the radio spectrum that could be used for 5G but aren’t implemented by any carriers in the UK or USA. 

The newly implemented rules are just a ‘slightly higher level of protection than the current guidelines’, according to the Germany-based organisation.

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Limits imposed on the 6Ghz part of the frequency spectrum that could be used by mobile networks are slightly ‘more conservative limits’ on radiation from handsets. 

No currently available 5G phones will be affected by the guideline changes as they already comply with the rules – all future phones will also have to comply. 

‘We also considered all other types of effects for instance, whether radio waves could lead to the development of cancer in the human body,’ ICNIRP’s chairman Dr Eric van Rongen told the BBC.

‘We find that the scientific evidence for that is not enough to conclude that indeed there is such an effect.’

The new regulations are unlikely to have any impact on existing 5G networks.

A spokeswoman for the GSMA – the body responsible for the telecom industry in the UK – said the guidelines prove existing technology is safe.

‘Importantly, the health risk assessment is unchanged. The review found no established health risks to anyone, including children, using mobile phones or living near base stations,’ she said. 

All major telecom companies in the UK have now launched 5G networks, with more than 100 locations connected to the next generation service. 

Other health theories blamed on the roll out of 5G include headaches and the spread of coronavirus. 

‘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 van Rongen 

Testing by UK communications regulator Ofcom of existing 5G masts found that they were using a ‘small fraction’ of allowable emissions with the highest reading at just 1.5 per cent of the maximum level. 

Public Health England said: ‘The overall exposure is expected to remain low relative to guidelines and, as such, there should be no consequences for public health.’ 

‘The guidelines have been developed after a thorough review of all relevant scientific literature, scientific workshops and an extensive consultation’, said van Rongen.

‘They provide protection against all scientifically substantiated adverse health effects due to EMF exposure in the 100kHz to 300GHz range.’

He added: ‘The most important thing for people to remember is that 5G technologies will not be able to cause harm when these guidelines are adhered to.’

Other minor changes to the guidelines include greater transparency to make the logic and scientific basis of the guidelines easier for the health protection community to engage with. 

They have also added a means of assessing compliance with the guidelines and  greater specification of how to assess complicated exposure scenarios.