WHAT IS 5G?

5G refers to the “5th generation” wireless technology. Its intended purpose is to provide faster and higher capacity transmissions to carry the massive amount of data that will be generated from the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Cities, driverless cars, and video streaming. No one is yet clear about how 5G will be achieved, so at present, it is being used more as a marketing term, although in Dec. 2017, industry announced that it has finally settled on specs or standards for 5G. 

What is clear is that 5G will include the higher millimeter wave (MMW) frequencies never before used for Internet and Telecommunications technology. These waves do not travel as easily through buildings as the lower frequencies, so according to the original marketing scheme, 5G would require millions of new so-called “small cells” aka Wireless Telecommunications Facilities. But more recently, a number of wireless companies have stated that 5G signals can travel 3000 feet (over half a mile). Regardless, the wireless telecom industry is still aggressively seeking to outfit lampposts and utility poles around the country with wireless “small cell” antennas beaming hazardous radiation next to, or into our homes, 24/7.

In light of the robust and ever growing independent science showing adverse health effects from radiofrequency/microwave radiation, the densification of our neighborhoods with 5G-infrastructure may prove to be a very ill-conceived idea.

WHAT IS THE INTERNET OF THINGS?

The Internet of Things (IoT), as being marketed and sold to the public, is a vision of connecting every “thing” possible to the Internet – all machines, appliances, objects, devices, and even our brains. In addition, the IoT will include artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), robots, microchipped humans, and augmented humans (humans with some form of technology implanted or integrated into their biology to “enhance” human characteristics or capabilities). IoT sensors and surveillance cameras will pepper our communities as well. New IoT cyber physical systems will render all objects “smart” – i.e. connected to the Cloud – thus enabling pervasive machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and massive data collection. It will also leave us open to devastating cyber attacks.

Some of the IoT products currently being manufactured include driverless cars, clothing, toasters, and coffee makers. Even diapers, and pacifiers for babies will be made “smart”. There are “smart” mattresses (with “infidelity detection systems”), “smart” toothbrushes to record and notify you how well you are brushing, WiFi connected pills to transmit data to your physician, smart” toilets, and the IoT even includes sex-bots, bluetooth tampons, and baby pods mothers can insert to serenade their unborn baby (check out this Soraya video) – and, sorry to say, even smart condoms to measure “performance”.

Every IoT “thing”, including robots, sensors, surveillance cameras, and augmented reality, will generate personal usage-data, which will be mined, stored, and used by government, law enforcement, industry, and hackers.

Every IoT “thing”, including robots, sensors, surveillance cameras, and augmented reality, will increase our exposure to pulsed microwave radiation – known to adversely impact both humans and wildlife. 

Although government and industry promote the IoT as the panacea for all, the IoT itself, creates a plethora of problems. This website delineates nine ways that 5G and the IoT will cause serious harms to humans, wildlife, and our Earth. There are many more than nine, but these will hopefully be covered in future blog posts. After exploring this website and conducting further research, you may decide the hoped for (and hyped about) benefits of 5G/IoT do not outweigh the very serious harms, and you may choose to not buy into them, both figuratively and literally.