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5G is SAFE as scientists debunk ‘deadly radiation’ conspiracy theories
5G PHONES are completely safe to use and won't damage your health, international experts have ruled.
Tougher radiation limits are now being enforced for 5G handsets to help reassure customers worried by online conspiracy theories.
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Radiation watchdog ICNIRP revealed its findings after studying seven years of scientific evidence.
And in a new ruling for March 2020, it decreed that radiation from 5G phones cannot cause harm under current guidelines.
However, it toughened protections for higher 5G frequencies about 6GHz – a band not currently in use in the UK.
"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, ICNIRP Chairman.
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"The guidelines have been developed after a thorough review of all relevant scientific literature, scientific workshops and an extensive public consultation process.
"They provide protection against all scientifically substantiated adverse health effects due to EMF exposure in the 100kHz to 300GHz range."
Rather than imposing limits on phone masts, the new rules affect phones connecting to 5G networks.
Current 5G phones won't be affected by the guideline changes, as they already comply.
And all future 5G phones will be compelled to follow the rules too.
According to the report, there is no evidence of health issues – apart from some minor heating.
"We also considered all other types of effects for instance, whether radio waves could lead to the development of cancer in the human body," Dr van Rongen explained.
"We find that the scientific evidence for that is not enough to conclude that indeed there is such an effect."
He added: "The most important thing for people to remember is that 5G technologies will not be able to cause harm when these new guidelines are adhered to,"
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Britain now has a 5G network up and running, delivering ultra-fast speeds that are proving to be 10 times faster than 4G.
But conspiracy theorists around the world have been warning about the health risks – with claims that 5G will give you cancer.
In 2018, a story about 5G tests killing hundreds of birds went viral, but was .
There are even "Stop 5G UK" petitions and Facebook groups, attracting tens of thousands of fearful Brits to their cause.
But last year, experts told The Sun that 5G simply can't hurt us.
"Cancers can arise when you sustain a lot of cellular damage," said Dr David Robert Grimes, an Irish physicist, cancer researcher and scientific myth-buster, speaking to The Sun.
"So if our DNA gets broken up or otherwise accosted by outside forces, it mutates and eventually becomes cancer."
Some radiation has enough energy to split apart chemical bonds and DNA, and that's known as ionising.
The type of signals your phone emits is microwave radiation. It's low on the electromagnetic spectrum, and is therefore non-ionising.
"Microwave radiation is much less powerful than even visible light," said Dr Grimes.
"We're talking a 1,000-fold difference between microwave photons and visible light.
"We know visible light is non-ionising, doesn't break apart bonds, otherwise we'd been in trouble watching TV.
"Essentially we're not worried about long-term exposure, because it just doesn't have the energy."
5G conspiracy theories – why are they spreading?
Here's what you need to know...
- The electromagnetic spectrum is nothing new.
- But the internet allows conspiracies to spread at speed, according to EE's Howard Jones.
- "The problem is the level of research people are willing to do that supports the hypothesis they already hold," Howard told us.
- "You can find lots of people talking about how 5G is not safe on the internet.
- "But people talking about how 5G is safe just doesn't happen as much. There isn't as much objective and motivation there to say it is safe."
- However, there are lots of reasons 5G seems scary to people.
- Dr David Grimes explained: "The first one is the difficult proving a negative.
- "The other factor is that radiation is invisible. It's a scary word: we conflate difference concepts like radiation and radioactivity.
- "Radiation is just the transmission of energy through a medium – light is radiation."
- "The things being said about 5G were being said about normal mobile phones and masts in the late 90s. The claims aren't updated, they're just reiterated.
- He went on: "Once you're suckered into these beliefs, it's hard to leave them.
- "Even if we want to believe it, we almost have to put our questioning hat on, and say what evidence is there for that?
- "Particularly online, you have to treat things with a massive pinch of salt.
- "It's something as a society we have to learn, or we'll be taken advantage of by cranks or scheming Russians."
Importantly, we've had years of experience with microwave radiation with zero issues.
"There is no relation between brain cancers and mobile phone use," Dr Grimes told us.
"You'd expect to see that if there was a link, but we don't see a link.
"With smokers, the more one smokes, the higher their chances of getting cancer.
"This kind of relationship to dose doesn't exist between microwave radiation and cancer "
Boris Johnson says 5G networks won't 'compromise our critical national infrastructure of security'
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In other news, Apple's rumoured iPhone 12 could be the first model with 5G.
Tesco Mobile is now offering 5G in 24 UK towns and cities.
And Three is giving customers a free 5G upgrade in 66 towns and cities.
Have you upgraded to 5G yet? Let us know in the comments!
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