Telstra Archives - Darryn Van Hout

Worried About 5G’s Health Effects? Don’t Be!

Darryn Van Hout — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 05:18:01 +0000

Top speed, convenience and instant gratification…that’s what we all expect from the internet. And from the way we are wired, the more we get it, the more we want it—and better!

But as the available networks become overwhelmed, providers are looking for the next big technology solution; the fifth generation is already here—5G. Of course, it’s very natural to wonder if the forthcoming, more powerful technology has any potential hazards for human health and the environment.

As carriers across the world rush to install 5G technology networks, some people are citing fears that this next gen wireless technology could pose far-reaching health risks. This seems to have sparked Covid-19 and 5G conspiracy theories during this global health pandemic. So… I sought to find out if you really have to be worried.

More than 180 scientists and doctors from across the globe (36 countries) recently made an appeal to the EU warning against the dangers of 5G. According to the critics, the new technology could lead to massive spikes in involuntary exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

On the other hand, the telecommunications industry experts have accused scientists of “fear mongering” over the 5G wireless technology and that since the research is funded by the public, they owe the public ethical responsibility to guarantee their safety.

This blog delves deeper into this peer-reviewed scientific research work and we hope by the time you finish reading it, your guess will be as good as ours.

Indeed, there’s little if any reason to even imagine that 5G frequencies are riskier than the other types of electromagnetic radiation such as visible light

Earlier in the year in the US, the Portland, Oregon city council moved a resolution requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to share its research findings about the potential health risks of the 5G wireless technology.

Last May, the House of Representatives in Louisiana made a resolution asking the state Department of Environment Quality and Department of Health to initiate a study about the environment and potential health effects of the 5G network.

In the meantime several Bay Area towns, Sebastopol and Mill Valley included, are plannng to stop carriers from setting up the 5G infrastructure.

“The impending roll out of 5G technology will require the installation of hundreds of thousands of ‘small cell’ sites in neighbourhoods and communities throughout the country, and these installations will emit higher-frequency radio waves than previous generations of cellular technology,” US representative Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) wrote in a letter to the FCC echoing earlier concerns about the latest technologies involving 5G.

There are real concerns as to how the 5G technology is being installed in the United States. And these concerns relate to security issues, the possibility of interfering with weather forecasting systems as well as the FCC stream-rolling local regulators in the name of fast-tracking the roll out of 5G network.

In Australia, negative media is limited at this stage and for good reason. The latest major setback was during August 2018 when Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would not allow Huawei in the the market. Huawei is the giant Chinese tech company that is suspected to have ties with the Communist Party, to build the country’s 5G network.

However, concerns raised over potential health impacts of the new 5G technology seem to have been blown out of proportion.

If you have not been worried about previous cellular service generations causing cancer, you shouldn’t be worried about 5G either

Most health-related issues about the impact of 5G emanate from a millimetre-wave technology which is high-frequency radio waves expected to deliver faster speeds.

The catch here is that the millimetre-wave transmission is far less reliable in longer distances than the transmission that uses lower frequencies which mobile carriers have been conventionally using.

To ensure that the 5G service is reliable, everywhere over millimetre-wave frequencies, mobile carriers will be required to have a higher number of smaller access points.

This has birthed two fears: First, the impact of millimetre-wave signals could be riskier than the traditional frequencies; and two the higher number of access points, with some being closer to households, might expose many to stronger radiation than the 4G service.

However, millimetre waves are not the only or primary way through which carriers can deliver the 5G service. Telstra 5G Mobile delivers the most ubiquitous 5G service available today. However, it relies on a band of low frequencies previously used in television broadcast. Meanwhile, other competing mobile internet providers gave re-purposed some of the “mid-band” spectrum it employs in 4G to offer 5G.

Currently, the primary focus of the wireless industry is the use of mid to low band frequencies for the new 5G since installing a hundreds of thousands of millimetre wave access points would be cumbersome and costly.

In essence, 5G is expected to continue riding on similar radio frequencies that have been the underlying technology for radio and television broadcast, mobile services, satellite communications, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Where 5g Fits in the Electromagnetic Spectrum

When carriers finally roll out the millimetre-wave coverage, there will be no need to worry given that visible light, radio waves and ultraviolet light all form part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The parts of the spectrum with higher frequency include x-rays and the gamma rays which are referred to as “ionising radiation”. Now these are the most damaging radiation as it can break molecular bonds and even cause cancer.

Radio waves including millimetre waves and the visible light are generally non-ionising which means they do not break molecular bonds. They contain higher frequency than the conventional broadcast frequencies; though they have weaker frequency than those of visible light and far lower than the ionising radiation like the x-rays, gamma rays and the shortwave ultraviolet light.

Calling it 5G and changing the frequency does not change the relevant biological health factor, which is energy.
Robert DeMott, an expert toxicologist specialising in risk assessment at Ramboll, a consulting firm

Another expert, Eric S. Swanson, professor of nuclear physics at the University of Pittsburgh says that visible light is one of the most common sources of higher-energy, higher-frequency electromagnetic energy than the millimetre waves or mobile phone frequencies. But this does not mean that continuous exposure to non-ionising radiation won’t have negative side effects. Generally, electromagnetic energy generates heat which apparently is the “one and only” health risk posed by radio waves, according to Demott.

This is backed by research on the biological effects of non-ionising radiation such as millimetre waves. In a study published in 2005 by the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety at IEEE, an engineering professional organisation, the over 1,300 peer-reviewed research on the biological effects of radio frequencies discovered that there there were “no adverse health effects that were not thermally related”.

To safeguard against effects related to heat, the FCC in conjunction with other regulators have set limits regarding the amount of energy to be emitted by wireless devices. “The normal consensus is that you don’t need to worry about a temperature increase of less than one degree Celsius because our bodies change by one degree Celsius in and of their own activities all the time, even at a cellular level,” DeMott says.

In conclusion

5G technology can’t replace 4G rather it will accompany 4G into the near future and potentially in the long run. More research needs to be done to ensure the cited synergistic effects from exposure do not cause harm. I mean, obviously the health issues raised are serious and deserve serious attention. Otherwise there’s no need to get too agitated about 5G.

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Will Telecom Companies Kill Utilities?

Darryn Van Hout — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 03:16:17 +0000

The energy war is truly underway around the world, and there’s one word on everyone’s lips: storage, or more specifically, the solar-plus-storage revolution.

Solar-based generation has been available to the market for decades, but energy utilities have managed to keep their stronghold over the energy market. The downfall of solar power has been that it could not cater to nighttime electricity use — relying on the larger electricity grid to keep it going.

Enter solar-plus-storage, the game-changer that solved this issue overnight. Granted, solar-plus-storage technology has been years in the making, but the shock it is causing to traditional electricity suppliers is drastic. The power dynamic between solar, fossil fuels, the government and consumers is highly complex — and about to become even more so.

Telecommunications companies want in on the action — and they have money, consumers and huge market influence. Australian telecommunications company Telstra has announced plans to roll out home solar-plus-storage solutions to the millions of consumers it has around Australia. The corporation will offer entire-home connectivity packages including internet, phones and now solar, hopefully making the cost of solar panels in Australia more affordable.

Telstra’s entry into the energy market in Australia signals a huge change to the industry and what could create enormous growth in renewable energy usage around the country. Telstra’s head of new business, Cynthia Whelan, says, “Telstra is looking at the opportunities to help customers monitor and manage many different aspects of the home, including energy.”

“We see energy as relevant to our ‘Connected Home’ strategy, where more and more machines are connected in what is called the internet of things,” she said.

Telstra has identified enormous potential in an existing consumer base, which will be looking to make the move to solar in the near future. Predictably, other large telcos will follow suit when the adoption of solar-plus-storage increases, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. While companies like Telstra and their competitors are experts within their industry, this doesn’t mean traditional utilities like AGL, Ergon Energy and Origin Energy won’t go down without a fight. They have, after all, been doing this for a while.

The question is whether a long history in the energy industry will be an advantage or a disadvantage. The status quo is hard to change. This is where Telstra is seeing its opportunity.

The utilities’ weak spot

Consumer relationships matter. This may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but the history of energy companies and their consumer relationships does not reflect a strong focus on customer service. The traditional relationship between utility companies and their customers has long been a one-sided power dynamic, leaving utility companies with large amounts of control over energy prices.

In Australia, the reputation of energy retailers is considerably on the negative end, withjust 22 percent of Australians holding a positive view of the energy industry, according to a survey conducted by IPSOS-Mori in the U.K.

The reasons for Australians having a poor relationship with their energy suppliers are said to include gas supply issues, the controversial coal seam gas movement, and high electricity prices. In what was once an oligopoly over the energy industry, utilities have had little need to foster their relationships with customers.

But as the solar revolution is expanding and customer service experts like Telstra enter as competitors, electricity retailers could be starting to regret relying on a historical imbalance of power. A 2014 Fairfax Business Intelligence survey measuring customer service satisfaction showed that energy utilities ranked worst in terms of customer service.

Advisory body Accenture and the Australian Financial Review have released recommendations to the energy sector suggesting exactly that. Their suggestions highlight consumer relationships as the central factor to the success of energy utilities in the changing and increasingly competitive energy market.

“Energy providers need to understand that customers are irrational and that many consumers have a preference to interact through non-traditional channels. Energy companies should look to making better use of digital, personalization and user-centered design,” the report states.

This is something telecommunications companies have been doing for years. The nature of the telecommunications industry demanded a high level of customer service from telcos, giving them the advantage of positive consumer relations in their entry into the solar industry.

The Accenture report describes the energy market as going through a “reinvention that will forge the way to future prosperity in an environment where consumers can and will choose to move completely off the grid and take more control of their energy choices.”

Mark Coughlin, head of utilities at PwC, also emphasized customer service as one of the central factors that will determine industry success. “The traditional utility model where the company controls the ‘electrons’ and the consumer has little choice is on its last legs; this model is struggling to meet customer needs.”

The empowerment of the consumer is aligning with the enormous growth of the solar storage industry, and there’s no doubt that demand for self-sufficiency in energy consumption is high.

Leading consumer care organization Australian Solar Quotes has seen record numbers of solar quote inquiries this year as Australian consumers seek solutions that will protect them from exposure to high electricity prices, driven by the Australian utilities. It’s now only a matter of time until the shift in the way that we buy, store and consume electricity will be available to all Australian households, including the large rental and commercial market.

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