2G brought us SMS and picture messaging. 3G was all about mobile internet. 4G made streaming and sharing part of everyday life.  5G stands for fifth generation and is the next leap forward in mobile network technology.

Downloads that take seconds, not minutes. Seamless streaming. Real-time gaming. A future where devices are interconnected, and immersive experiences are the norm.

 According to Telstra there are some advantages to have 5G.

Downloading is faster with 5G

Right now, Telstra 4G delivers a faster data experience in more places than any other mobile network. 5G builds on the foundation of 4G with innovative new technologies, base station upgrades, and greater access to spectrum bandwidth.  All of this means you can download movies, music, audiobooks and apps faster than ever before on Telstra 5G. Even when you’re on the go. Uploads are more efficient on 5G too – get your files and posts where they need to be, fast.

5G has more capacity. What does that mean?

Smartphones and the booming Internet of Things mean that data traffic on Telstra’s network is growing more than 40 per cent each year.  The network is like a busy traffic-filled freeway. 5G relieves the congestion by adding lanes in the form of spectrum bandwidth. This increased capacity leads to faster data speeds and better performance – especially in crowded areas.

Ultra-reliable low latency. Leave the lag behind.

Latency is all about response times. It’s the delay between transmitting and processing instructions on network devices – low latency equals better performance. 5G is an ultra-reliable low-latency network that reduces the lag significantly – great news for gamers, driverless cars and mission-critical industrial automation.

Rabat – Belgian doctors and health professionals have signed an opinion piece warning against wireless technologies during the pandemic, putting a special emphasis on 5G.

“Faced with the  massive and reckless use of wireless technologies, we health professionals ask the government to apply precautionary measures to protect the population and more particularly the most vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and children.”

The 434 doctors and 900 health professionals who signed the opinion referenced how Belgian telecommunication operator Proximus launched 5G in 30 municipalities around Brussels amid the fight against COVID-19.

“This seems indecent to us at a time when the Belgians must fight together to try to overcome the human drama which concerns us all,” the opinion piece reads.

The document also complained about organizations publishing articles to defend 5G technology and claim it is not dangerous. 

Numerous conspiracy theories have linked the spread of COVID-19 to 5G, causing experts to assert radio frequencies do not transmit viruses. The Belgian doctors are not arguing radio frequencies can spread the virus but that 5G carries other health risks.

The opinion argued “electromagnetic radiation from radio frequencies/ microwaves (RF/MO)” has not been proven safe and noted the increase of electromagnetic radiation with first 3G, then 4G and ever-present Wi-Fi.

“And now we are witnessing the arrival of 5G or at least 4G +.”

The health professionals lamented that Belgium did not follow the “precautionary principle” and delay implementing new technology until proven safe.

“The widespread deployment of wireless technologies has had known health risks for several decades,” the opinion stated.

The doctors explained that multiple studies, including epidemiological studies, and studies on cells and animals “confirm non-thermal biological effects induced by exposure to electromagnetic RF/MO radiation emitted by wireless technologies.”

The effects include DNA damage or ruptures, disturbances in protein synthesis, hormone disorders, and sperm alterations.

Will it cause cancer?

DNA damage is also linked to cancer, especially brain tumors.

The health professionals noted “some scientists” believe high carrier frequencies, such as 5G, could increase skin cancer and eye damage.

Concerns surrounding 5G and health risks come from the fact it relies on signals carried through radio waves.

Radio frequency radiation comes from many devices in use throughout the world, including mobiles and televisions. Even sunlight is a source of electromagnetic radiation.

In addition to the WHO and IARC, a report from the US Department of Health in 2018 stipulated that male rats exposed to high doses of radiofrequency radiation could develop a type of cancerous tumor in the heart.

The study, however, found no connection between cancer and exposure in female rats and mice.