What is 5G?
5G stands for fifth generation mobile phone services. 5G will not only utilize current 3G and 4G wireless frequencies already in use but also add higher frequency — submillimeter and millimeter waves — in order to transmit more data. (Source)
This new mobile network will require millions of small cell antennas to be placed on lampposts and utility poles approximately every 100 m or 6 – 10 houses. This will result in involuntary exposure to wireless radiation for everyone 24/7, whether you use the service or not.
Wireless antennas emit microwaves — non-ionizing radiofrequency (RF) radiation — and essentially function as cell towers. Each small cell can have over a thousand antennas that are transmitting simultaneously.
Peer reviewed, published science indicates that cumulative daily RF radiation exposure can increase cancer risk, alter brain development, damage DNA, and damage sperm. Most people are unaware that wireless technology was never tested for long-term safety, that children are more vulnerable and that the accumulated scientific evidence indicates harm.
Meanwhile, large telecom companies like Bell, Rogers, and Telus are rushing to install new “small cell antennas” – the foundation for 5G – as quickly as possible.
There is no scientific evidence to support any claim of safety for 5G.
You have the right to know if this technology is safe before it is installed where you live.
What do Experts Say?
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified wireless radiation as being possibly carcinogenic in 2011, putting it in the same category as lead and DDT. A recent ten-year, $30-million dollar government study by the U.S. National Toxicology Program showed “clear evidence” of an increased risk of cancer from exposure to wireless radiation. The NTP study and several others since 2011 warrant an upgrade from potentially carcinogenic to “carcinogenic to humans”.
Miller, A.B., Environmental Research, 2018
"We recommend a moratorium on the roll-out of the fifth generation, 5G, for telecommunication until potential hazards for human health and the environment have been fully investigated by scientists independent from industry...[Radiofrequency radiation] has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment."
— 2017 5G Scientific Appeal
(signed by 268 scientists and doctors from over 35 countries)
Video of Media Release - Ontario Doctors Warn of Rising Health Care Costs after 5G Roll Out
Other Reasons for Concern
Energy Consumption and Climate Change
Sending data through fiber optic cables connected to our homes is many thousands of times more energy-efficient than streaming data wirelessly.
Environment
Peer-reviewed, published science indicates that radiation impacts birds, bees, wildlife and our environment. (Source)
Decreased Property Values
Studies show property values drop up to 20% on homes near cell towers. Would you buy a home with a mini cell tower in the yard? Read research showing decreased property value from cell towers near homes.
Privacy and Security
5G networks will allow massive amounts of data collection. What safeguards are in place to protect citizens? Experts are warning that 5G networks - which will rely heavily on 4G networks - will be susceptible to cyber attacks and surveillance. Read this recent piece from the New Yorker.
Fiber is the Safe Alternative
Worldwide, many regions are investing in wired fiber-optic networks which are are safer, faster, more reliable, provide greater capacity, and are more cyber-secure.
The Pushback Against 5G in Canada
The 5G roll-out is one that will affect all of Canada, from our citizens to our ecosystems.
Here is an encouraging article by Paul H. LeMay about the push back against 5G in Vancouver published in Common Ground. “It is Western Canada’s biggest and best-loved monthly magazine dedicated to health, wellness, ecology and personal growth.”
Pushback Against 5G Wireless Grows
Image source: CETH.ca
5G in Kingston
Recently, the City of Kingston published a new webpage entitled "5G Networks and Kingston". Kingstonians for Safe Technology provides a response to their webpage FAQs here.
From a February 2018 Press Release, "Kingston City Council has approved an agreement towards a public-private partnership between the city and Bell that will employ Bell’s Smart City platform to provide a series of connected Internet of Things (IoT) applications."
This has been done without public consultation and without informing citizens of any of the risks regarding privacy and security or health.
Small cell antennas, which are part of the 5G infrastructure, are already being installed in Kingston by Bell. Kingston rents the lampposts and utility poles to Bell. Here is a video showing the radiation levels emitted from of one of these small cells and another video comparing those levels to a nearby macro cell tower.
Ask your City Councillor why Kingstonians have not been consulted and ask that we not proceed with with this public-private partnership. Kingstonians deserve full disclosure. Ask who holds the liability - the City or the telecos - if or when 5G small cells cause personal injuries and reduce property values. In the US, state streamlining bills are being used to target and erode localities’ basic contractual rights to indemnification. See this page about Streamlining Bills.
We believe there are superior options which Kingston seems well-poised to implement. Please see community-broadband.ca to read about "The Case for Community Broadband".
Please see emrabc.ca for details about Kingston's installations, including maps and photos, and other activity in Canada.
Flyer - 5G is Coming to a Lamppost Near You
Download our flyer - "5G Is Coming to a Lamppost Near You" (pdf)
It is designed to print on 8.5 × 14 inch paper.
