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While 5G may be the showstopper for Verizon and AT&T, their respective fiber build-outs are the roadies that move and carry the loads.

Wireless and 5G stole the headlines during the companies' recent earnings calls, but their respective fiber build-outs were also mentioned as key elements for both telcos. Here's a look at what AT&T and Verizon are doing with their fiber.

Verizon builds on its One Fiber strategy

Verizon has been a big proponent of fiber ever since the launch of Fios in 2004. Fiber deployments are key to Verizon's existing commercial and residential services as well as its burgeoning 5G applications and services.

Verizon has been dramatically expanding its fiber equipment in support of 5G technologies, such as C-RAN, and densification for wireless services as well as fiber deep for its wireline access services. In order to get its fiber ducks in a row, which included all of its wireless fiber assets and all of its Verizon business assets that were formally under MCI, Verizon embarked on its One Fiber program.


As the name implies, Verizon is putting all of its fiber assets and plans into a single, combined entity in order to plan for its fiber needs.

"Our One Fiber deployment is rapidly expanding the multipurpose fiber network outside our landline footprint," said Verizon CEO and Chairman Hans Vestberg during Tuesday's earnings call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. "This will enable new revenue opportunities in the large enterprise, small businesses, public sector and the wholesale businesses, while also delivering expense reductions opportunities.

"We have ramped up installations to a run rate over 1,000 route miles per month, which puts us at the top of all major U.S. fiber providers. All of this is being accomplished within the current levels of our capex guidance."

Verizon's wireline division revenues declined 3.9% to $7.26 billion during the first quarter of 2019 from $7.56 billion in the year-ago period. Its enterprise solutions were down about 4% to $2.14 billion in revenue, compared to $2.24 billion in the same quarter a year ago.

"We're able to offer our services to small, medium business, to enterprise, to even on a wholesale partner basis in geographies that we historically haven't," Verizon CFO Matt Ellis said on the conference call. "So that will bring some incremental revenue opportunities to our wireline customer base in addition to what we're doing with new products as we move forward."

Verizon said its enterprise solutions, partner solutions and business markets revenues declined by 4.5%, 12.5% and 4.9%, respectively, "driven by technology shifts and pricing pressures."

AT&T reaps the fruits of fiber builds

During Wednesday's first quarter earnings report, AT&T announced its business wireline services declined to $6.50 billion, down from $6.75 billion a year ago. Revenue in AT&T's communications segment, which includes high-speed internet, video and legacy voice services was down by 0.4% year over year.

The revenue growth in mobility was more than offset by declines in the entertainment and business wireline sectors, according to AT&T's John Stephens, senior executive vice president and CFO.

Stephens said AT&T had 297,000 AT&T fiber customer gains during the quarter and 45,000 broadband net adds, with broadband revenue growing more than 8% in this year's first quarter. Stephens said AT&T was bullish on its fiber prospects.

"This is one of the more exciting areas of the business in terms of where we have invested heavily," Stephenson said, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript."  Where we can get AT&T fiber, a video product and a mobile product (together), churn rates just drop. Customers love it, the services are all premium services, so this is going to be an important element for us this year and as we continue into 2020."

AT&T CEO and Chairman Randall Stephenson said on the conference call that AT&T's first responder program, FirstNet, has enabled the telco to accelerate its 5G and fiber build outs. Stephenson said that AT&T's fiber network surpasses 20 million consumer and business locations.

"I've got to tell you our fiber product, the AT&T fiber product, is doing very well in the marketplace," Stephenson said. "In short, our network investments are paying off, and we're not done yet."

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Verizon and T-Mobile agree much of the US won’t see the fast version of 5G

Rural areas may not get millimeter wave

5G is here, but not all 5G is equal — there’s the blazing-fast-but-barely-there millimeter wave 5G which has trouble covering wide areas and penetrating buildings, and the “sub-6GHz” frequency flavor of 5G that can be deployed more easily using existing spectrum. 

And now, Verizon and T-Mobile are publicly admitting something that anyone could have predicted: good luck getting the fastest version of 5G unless you live in an urban metropolitan area.

“We all need to remind ourselves this is not a coverage spectrum,” Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg told analysts on the company’s Q1 2019 earnings call on Tuesday — just one day after T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray decried Verizon’s 5G rollout as one that would “never reach rural America.”

“Millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum has great potential in terms of speed and capacity, but it doesn’t travel far from the cell site and doesn’t penetrate materials at all. It will never materially scale beyond small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments,” Ray wrote. That’s probably one of the reasons why we were barely able to find Verizon’s 5G network on the day it launched in Chicago.

mmWave utilizes new spectrum, while sub-6GHz uses the same spectrum as existing 4G networks.

Image: Qualcomm

Mind you, T-Mobile has some ulterior motives for blasting Verizon here. First, the carrier delayed its 5G launch until the second half of 2019, using the (actually pretty convincing in hindsight!) excuse that it’s too early to launch a 5G network when there aren’t any compatible phones. Second, T-Mobile’s still trying to convince US regulators that it needs to be able to merge with Sprint in order to meaningfully compete on 5G, particularly now that the deal is reportedly unlikely to be approved as proposed.

And Verizon had already suggested to The Vergethat it might not spend the money to bring the fastest 5G to everyone: “Our ambition is large... that doesn’t mean we’re going to blanket every corner of the country with millimeter wave,” Verizon chief network officer Nikki Palmer told me in December, when I wrote about how AT&T and Verizon were planning to wow with speed before attempting to going broader with “sub-6” 5G.

“We will do it as far as the economics are sustainable, of course,” Vestberg said yesterday.

Verizon says it now has several mmWave phones coming, including the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G; a rumored, teased, but previously unconfirmed 5G-enabled Galaxy Note; and the LG V50 ThinQ.

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Further FCC Assault on Local Zoning - Join Coalition to Fight Proposed Expansion of OTARD Rule

Via Best Best & Krieger, Attorneys at Law

The Federal Communications Commission is once again seeking to usurp local authority as part of its agenda for 5G deployment. Last week, the FCC requested comments on a proposal to expand its Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule. If approved, the Rule would limit localities’ authority to regulate placement of hub and relay antennas of a certain size — regardless of whether an occupant at the site where the equipment is deployed is using the network. In doing so, the FCC seeks to extend a Congressional directive that protects consumers’ right to install satellite dishes (Telecommunications Act of 1996 section 207) to network elements that would otherwise be subject to zoning oversight. Best Best & Krieger LLP is inviting agencies to join a coalition in objecting to this zoning authority encroachment.

First adopted in 1999, the OTARD Ruleprohibits state and local governments from restricting consumers from installing over-the-air devices to receiveover-the-air signals. If a consumer feels that a local rule or ordinance limits the ability to install such a device, a complaint can be filed with the FCC in an effort to force the local government to suspend all enforcement action. But the Rule was designed to solely protect equipment at the consumer’s end: small antennas (1 meter in diameter or less) installed on property within the exclusive use or control of the satellite’s user.

Now, the FCC is proposing to extend these protections to hub and relay antennas — equipment 5G providers will use to transmitsignals to, and receive signals from, multiple customer locations. This is particularly problematic for local governments because the Rule’s effect may permit 5G providers to install the antennas without notifying local agencies or being subject to local community control.

This is not the first time the FCC has expanded the OTARD Rule. In 2000, the Rule was extended from television programming devices to “fixed wireless” antennas and, in 2004, it was extended to protect equipment capable of processing network functionality. But in both cases, the equipment installed had to be used to serve a user at the premises. This proposal eliminates the on-premises user requirement.

Comments will be due 30 days from publication in the Federal Register, which is expected to occur at any time. 

 [View source.]

WHO Says No Screen Exposure for Babies Under 1 Year Old. Kids Under 5 Should Have No More Than 1 Daily Hour of “Sedentary Screen Time."

By B.N. Frank

From The Washington Post:

The answer, according to WHO, is never for children in their first year of life and rarely in their second. Those aged 2 to 4, the international health agency said, should spend no more than an hour a day in front of a screen.  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also made similar recommendations regarding kids’ use and exposure to screens.

[…]

Research on older children has associated screen time with behavioral and development issues, but research on babies and toddlers is more inconclusive. One study published in JAMA Pediatrics in January found that screen time could delay toddlers’ language and sociability skills. Another study published this month in Pediatrics found that parents interacted with, and spoke to, their toddlers more when reading print books than when they read electronic books to their children.

In the U.S., a $300M federal research study has already determined that screen use harms kids’ brains in a multitude of ways.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also made recommendations regarding kids’ exposureto cell phones, cell towers, and other sources of wireless radiation.  In 2012, they endorsed Ohio state rep Dennis Kucinich’s “Cell Phone Right to Know” Act.

WHO has also weighed in on cell phone and wireless radiation exposure.  (See 1, 2)

In 2014, the American Cancer Society noted that the WHO promised to conduct a formal assessment of risks from radiation exposure from utility “Smart” Meters.  In 2017, it was reported that “Smart meters cause a “cornucopia of health issues” for occupants of the 57 million American homes equipped with the new technology, according to the World Health Organization and Cancer.org.”

Despite this, utility “Smart” Meters are still being promoted as beneficial to customers and eco-friendly by utility companies and even some environmentalists and health care professionals.  It’s ridiculous.  People everywhere are still fighting to get these meters removed from their homes and communities.  (See 1, 2,3)

Reducing screen time is important.  Also important – recognizing that no “safe” level of wireless radiation has been scientifically determined for children or pregnant women.  None of this will apparently stop tech companies from marketing screens and everything else even though they’ve admitted they may eventually be held financially liable for causing harm to the public.

See videos here.

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New Study: Cell Phones Exceed Safety Limits When Phones Touch the Body

Most cell phones emit radiation exceeding safety guidelines when held against the body, according to new analyses of French government data published online in IEEE Access, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).   The analysis by Professor Om Gandhi examined data from 450 cell phone models from the French government agency, ANFR–the national radiation assessment bureau– indicating that phones can emit 11 times over the US FCC limit and 3 times over French limits in 9 out of 10 phones tested. 
Most cell phones have instructions buried in the manufacturer’s manual or operating system to maintain a separation distance between the phone and the body.  ANFR tested radiation absorbed into the body at manufacturers’ tested distances of 5 to 25 mm and also in body contact positions at 0m. While most phones were compliant when tested with the manufacturers’ separation distance, most phones violated European and U.S limits when tested at body contact.  


“The U.S. is far behind much of the industrial world in failing to test and monitor phones in the real world.  My analysis confirms that currently marketed cell phones could exceed US FCC limits by as high as 11 times the 2-decade old allowable U.S. limits,” stated Gandhi, award-winning Emeritus Professor of the University of Utah and former President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society.  “People use and carry cell phones against their bodies. It is not sufficient for manufacturers to simply state that users should keep a distance from the phone.” 

The paper recommends that cell phone compliance testing be updated to include body contact positions and to take into account the special vulnerability of children and pregnant women. Gandhi called attention for the need to protect children as he has authoredresearchfinding children absorb radiation more deeply into their brains when compared to adults, at times that their brains are rapidly growing. These findings of children’s greater exposure have been repeatedly replicated by scientists worldwide and the International Agency for Research on Cancer states “the average exposure from use of the same mobile phone is higher by a factor of 2 in a child’s brain and higher by a factor of 10 in the bone marrow of the skull.” 

This paper comes just as the advisory group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of World Health Organization released new recommendations to reassess as a  “high priority” the cancer risks of radiofrequency (RF) radiation- the wireless radiation from cell phones and other wireless devices. Several researchreviews have concluded that cell phone radiation is a human carcinogen and a new study involving over 50,000 women and children in four countries  linked maternal cell phone use during pregnancy with shorter pregnancy duration and increased risk for preterm birth.

“We call for FDA and FCC to recall phones that do not meet US safety limits, according to the Gandhi analysis and to institute a new program of testing phones at the body. A substantial body of research including the U.S. government’s National Toxicology Program and guidance from the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics confirm harmful effects from this radiation,”  stated Dr. Devra Davis MPh, PHD, President of Environmental Health Trust (EHT), a scientific non-profit that evaluates and conducts research.  Davis has long held that phones “would be illegal if they were tested in the way they are used” and provided testimony on how the public is unaware of cell phone radiation manufacturer’s instructions in 2009 Senate hearings, calling for real-world testing and monitoring.

In Europe, 13 phone models have been recalled or software updated after Dr. Mark Arazi’s of Phonegate Alerte pressured the French government to release the ANFR measurement data. “The fact that cell phones exceed federal limits when tested touching the body is a scandal that has been going on for 30 years. It affects billions of cell phone users worldwide and will shake the cell phone industry itself,” stated Dr. Arazi who filed charges against the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi for cell phone radiation measurements that violated regulatory levels. 

“Parents are unaware that when a child holds a phone or iPad in their lap, or when then their teenager tucks the phone in their pants, that their child absorbs radiation at levels that exceed cell phone radiation limits,” stated Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of EHT. “We contacted the FDA when the French cell phone data were first released three years ago and called on them to take action. The CDC, FDA, and FCC must inform the public about this and take action to ensure protection for all cell phone users, especially children, and teenagers.”  

Gandhi, O. P. (2019). Microwave Emissions From Cell Phones Exceed Safety Limits in Europe and the US When Touching the Body. IEEE Access, 7, 47050-47052. doi:10.1109/access.2019.2906017
Om P. Gandhi, Sc.D. is Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He is the author or co-author of several book chapters, and over 200 journal articles on electromagnetic dosimetry, microwave tubes, and solid-state devices. He also edited the book, Biological Effects and Medical Applications of Electromagnetic Energy (Prentice-Hall, 1990), and co-edited the book Electromagnetic Biointeraction (Plenum Press, 1989).

Dr. Gandhi was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 1979, a Life Fellow of the IEEE in 1999, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 1997. He has been Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Utah (1992-1999), President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (1992-1993), Co-chairman of IEEE SCC 28.IV Subcommittee on the RF Safety Standards (1988-1997), and Chairman of the IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation (COMAR) 1980-1982. He received the d’Arsonval Medal of the Bioelectromagnetics Society for pioneering contributions to the field of bioelectromagnetics in 1995, the Microwave Pioneer Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society in 2001, and the State of Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in 2002.  He is also a Scientific Advisor to EHT.

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Study links fluorescent lighting to inflammation and immune response

Summary: Studies in fish and mice found genome-wide changes in the gene expression of patterns in the skin, brains and liver following exposure to white fluorescent light. Both the skin and brains exhibited increased inflammation and immune response following exposure.

Source: Texas State University

Fluorescent lighting has become one of the most common artificial light sources in use today, but new research from Texas State University suggests there may be unexpected consequences at the genetic level.

The research team, comprised of Mikki Boswell, Yuan Lu, William Boswell, Markita Savage, Raquel Salinas and Ronald B. Walter from the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas State, along with Kim Hildreth and Christi Walter from the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, have published their findings, “Fluorescent Light Incites a Conserved Immune and Inflammatory Genetic Response within Vertebrate Organs,” in the online journal Genes.

“Evolution occurred over many millennia exclusively under the full spectrum of sunlight. Thus, life had the opportunity to conscript each wavelength in the solar spectrum for the regulation of specific gene expression pathways,” Walter explained.

“Over the past 60 years, we have increasingly relied on artificial light sources that emit much narrower wavelength spectrums than does the sun. Yet, little research has been conducted to determine gene expression consequences, if any, from the use of common artificial light sources.”

In research using zebrafish (Danio rerio), Japanese rice fish (Oryzias latipes) and the hairless mouse (Mus musculus), the Texas State team identified genes activated by the wavelengths emitted by fluorescent light. The results show increased inflammation in tissue and organs in the subject animals, regardless of whether the species is primarily active in the day or night.

“In this report, we show genome-wide changes of gene expression patterns in skin, brain and liver for two commonly utilized fish experimental models (zebrafish and Japanese rice fish, also known as medaka), and a mammalian (mice), following exposure to 4,100 K ‘cool-white’ fluorescent light,” Walter said. “In spite of the extreme divergence of these animals (i.e., estimated divergence of mice and fish about 450 million years), and drastically different lifestyles (i.e., diurnal fish and nocturnal mice), the same highly conserved primary genetic response that involves activation of inflammation and immune pathways as part of an overall acute phase response was observed in the skin, brain and liver of all three animals. Follow-up studies to further define this response in mice are underway.”

Complex spectra for sunlight (top) measured at noon in San Marcos, TX, and 4,100K “cool white” Fluorescent (bottom). The image is credited to the researchers.

The team now hypothesizes that under broad-spectrum daylight conditions, these genes would be subsequently deactivated by wavelengths from a different part of the spectrum — but these additional wavelengths may be absent in fluorescent lighting.

The skin and brain of the three animals, as well as the liver of both fish models all exhibit, increased inflammation and immune responses; however, the mouse liver suppressed this reaction. Overall, the conserved nature of the genetic responses observed, among fishes and a mammal, suggest the presence of light responsive genetic circuitry that is deeply embedded in the vertebrate genome.

ABOUT THIS NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH ARTICLE

Source:
Texas State University
Media Contacts: 
Jayme Blaschke – Texas State University
Image Source:
The image is credited to the researchers.

Original Research: Open access.
“Fluorescent Light Incites a Conserved Immune and Inflammatory Genetic Response within Vertebrate Organs (Danio rerio, Oryzias latipes and Mus musculus)”
Mikki Boswell, Yuan Lu, William Boswell, Markita Savage, Kim Hildreth, Raquel Salinas, Christi A. Walter and Ronald B. Walter. Genes doi:10.3390/genes10040271

Abstract

Fluorescent Light Incites a Conserved Immune and Inflammatory Genetic Response within Vertebrate Organs (Danio rerio, Oryzias latipes and Mus musculus)

Fluorescent light (FL) has been utilized for ≈60 years and has become a common artificial light source under which animals, including humans, spend increasing amounts of time. Although the solar spectrum is quite dissimilar in both wavelengths and intensities, the genetic consequences of FL exposure have not been investigated. Herein, we present comparative RNA-Seq results that establish expression patterns within skin, brain, and liver for Danio rerio, Oryzias latipes, and the hairless mouse (Mus musculus) after exposure to FL. These animals represent diurnal and nocturnal lifestyles, and ≈450 million years of evolutionary divergence. In all three organisms, FL induced transcriptional changes of the acute phase response signaling pathway and modulated inflammation and innate immune responses. Our pathway and gene clustering analyses suggest cellular perception of oxidative stress is promoting induction of primary up-stream regulators IL1B and TNF. The skin and brain of the three animals as well as the liver of both fish models all exhibit increased inflammation and immune responses; however, the mouse liver suppressed the same pathways. Overall, the conserved nature of the genetic responses observed after FL exposure, among fishes and a mammal, suggest the presence of light responsive genetic circuitry deeply embedded in the vertebrate genome.

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New LED streetlights could damage eyesight and disrupt sleep, warns Public Health England

New streetlights installed on British  roads could harm people’s eyesight and disrupt their sleep, Public Health England (PHE) has warned.

Councils across the country hope replacing existing bulbs in streetlights with new light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will help save money and reduce emissions.

Authorities in London, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Dundee, among others, have spent millions of pounds upgrading their lights.

But PHE warned the powerful new bulbs could interfere with people’s natural sleeping patterns, resulting in a feeling similar to “permanent jet lag”.

“Humans have a natural body clock that has an approximate 24-hour cycle. However, light is the main trigger to ensure that we stay entrained,” said John O’Hagan, head of the PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards.

“It is likely that bright light, of almost any wavelength, could have an impact. Disruption of the circadian system can have a major impact on sleep quality and daytime alertness, which in turn impacts wellbeing and safety. It is a bit like having permanent jet lag.”

Since the roll-out of the new lights, residents have complained the new lights are shining into their bedrooms.

Mr O’Hagan warned against installing the new lights “purely on the basis of energy efficiency and cost”, which he said could lead to glare and a rise in light pollution.

“The light spectrum may be enriched in the blue, which may be beneficial for keeping drivers alert, but many people will find the light uncomfortable. High levels of blue light are known to cause damage to the retina in the eye,” he added.

Councils could avoid this by using LED lights which emit warm-coloured light, particularly in densely populated areas, he said.

Local authorities must also consider the effect the different frequency of the new bulbs will have on people, according to PHE. The new lights could make objects appear to jump, rather than move smoothly, PHE warned. 

“Some people seem to be very sensitive to this light modulation, resulting in headaches migraine and less specific feelings of malaise,” the report added.

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ELECTRONIC ENERGY METERS’ FALSE READINGS ALMOST SIX TIMES HIGHER THAN ACTUAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Some electronic energy meters can give false readings that are up to 582% higher than actual energy consumption.

This emerged from a study carried out by the University of Twente (UT), in collaboration with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). Professor Frank Leferink of the UT estimates that potentially inaccurate meters have been installed in the meter cabinets of at least 750,000 Dutch households. The is published in the scientific journal ‘IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine’. 

In the Netherlands, traditional energy meters (kWh) – the familiar energy meter with a rotating disc – are being increasingly replaced by electronic variants (which are also known as ‘static energy meters’). One well-known variant of the latter is the ‘smart meter’. The Dutch government wants smart meters in every household by 2020. 

ACTUAL CONSUMPTION

For quite some time now, rumours have been rife about electronic energy meters that give excessively high readings in practice. This prompted Prof. Leferink to investigate electronic meters, to see whether they can indeed give false readings. Together with co-workers Cees Keyer and Anton Melentjev from AUAS, he tested nine different electronic meters in this study. The meters in question were manufactured between 2004 and 2014. The meters were connected, via an electric switchboard, to a range of power-consuming appliances, such as energy saving light bulbs, heaters, LED bulbs and dimmers. The researchers then compared the actual consumption of the system with the electronic energy meter’s readings.  

582 PERCENT

In the experiments (which were entirely reproducible), five of the nine meters gave readings that were much higher than the actual amount of power consumed. Indeed, in some setups, these were up to 582 percent higher. Conversely, two of the meters gave readings that were 30 percent lower than the actual amount of power consumed.

The greatest inaccuracies were seen when dimmers combined with energy saving light bulbs and LED bulbs were connected to the system. According to Mr Keyer (lecturer Electrical Engineering at the AUAS and PhD student at the UT)  “OK, these were laboratory tests, but we deliberately avoided using exceptional conditions. For example, a dimmer and 50 bulbs, while an average household has 47 bulbs.” 

EXPLANATION

The inaccurate readings are attributed to the energy meter’s design, together with the increasing use of modern (often energy-efficient) switching devices. Here, the electricity being consumed no longer has a perfect waveform, instead it acquires an erratic pattern. The designers of modern energy meters have not made sufficient allowance for switching devices of this kind.

When they dismantled the energy meters tested, the researchers found that the ones associated with excessively high readings contained a ‘Rogowski Coil’ while those associated with excessively low readings contained a ‘Hall Sensor’. Frank Leferink (Professor of Electromagnetic Compatibility at the UT) points out that “The energy meters we tested meet all the legal requirements and are certified. These requirements, however, have not made sufficient allowance for modern switching devices”. 

CONSUMERS

Any consumers who do not trust their energy meter can have it tested by an ‘Accredited inspection company’. However, if this inspection shows that the meter is functioning properly, then the consumer will have to cover the costs involved. Yet the standardized test does not make allowance for waveform-contaminating power-consuming appliances. As a result, according to the researchers, it is an unsuitable method for detecting false meter readings. Prof. Leferink and Mr Keyer advise any consumers who doubt their meter readings to contact their supplier, who then will pass the complaint on to the power grid operator. 

STUDY

The study, entitled ‘Static Energy Meter Errors Caused by Conducted Electromagnetic Interference’, are published in the scientific journal ‘IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine’. The Van Swinden Laboratory (the Dutch Metrology Institute), which carried out a countercheck, has confirmed these results. The study was conducted by Prof. Frank Leferink (Professor of Electromagnetic Compatibility at the UT), Cees Keyer (lecturer at the AUAS and PhD candidate at the UT), and Anton Melentjev (at that time, a student at the AUAS).

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Are community concerns over the 5G network rollout based on unfounded anxiety or valid evidence?

by Don Maisch PhD

Overview

5th generation (5G) wireless technology, as the name indicates, is the next generation wireless communication network from 4G and 4G LTE. Once fully implemented it will predominantly operate in the millimetre (mm) radiofrequency band which will allow much higher data transfer necessary for driverless vehicles, the Internet of Things (IoT), faster video downloads as well as other applications, including military. The downside of 5G mmWave, however, is that the signals do not penetrate objects readily such as buildings and foliage, in comparison to the lower frequencies. This necessitates a far denser network of 5G small cell antennas which will be mounted on power poles, light poles, street furniture, bus shelters, etc. which in many cases will be close to homes, workplaces and public areas. In some cases internal antennas in buildings will also be used.  This will result in higher chronic radiofrequency exposures to humans in these areas. The high number of small cells needed for an effective 5G network is causing community disquiet and that, combined with many scientific unknowns about the possible biological effects of prolonged exposure to mm waves, is resulting in increasing community opposition in Australia and internationally. As community opposition is most likely going to increase as 5G infrastructure continues to be rolled out nationally, the question arises: Is this opposition to 5G warranted or not?

5G community concerns in Australia

The Blue Mountains

On January 29, 2019, the Katoomba Council in the Blue Mountains, NSW, voted unanimously to acknowledge serious community concerns over the coming rollout of 5G technology and to investigate these 5G concerns further. Mayor Mark Greenhill said after the meeting that there was “significant community concern” (1) and that the council would be writing to various government ministers in order to help clarify the issue (2).

In response to this, Professor Simon Chapman from the University of Sydney, used a very ‘broad brush’ in dismissing community 5G concerns by bringing in other contentious issues in attempting to picture 5G concerns as just another example of anti-technology risk-phobic alarmism.

The most elementary test of the hypothesis that mobile phone and other electronic appliances like WiFi may give you brain cancer has repeatedly fallen at the first and most obvious hurdle. If they cause brain cancer, where are all the bodies? Ever since the nineteenth century we have seen pockets of anxiety about health from train travel, ordinary phones, radio, computer screens, electric blankets, power lines, WiFi, smart meters and wind turbines. Meanwhile life expectancy is longer than it has ever been in history. (3)

And quoting from Chapman’s blog:

Mobile phone alarmists are a relentless (small) lobby group who are risk-phobic about almost every new form of communication. Every time there’s a new generation of cell phone or electronic technology, they crank out the same fear-mongering stuff.  Cult-like, they wake every morning, to spread the word about the deadly rays they believe are being foisted on the world by the evil telecommunications industry. They follow in the hallowed footsteps of those in history who raised health alarms about railway travel, electric light, ordinary phones, radio, TV, electric blankets, computers, microwave ovens, wind turbines and solar roof cells etc. Some are also anti-vaccination (e.g.: this is one of their US queen bees). (4)

Ryde, Sydney

In early January 2019, a group of over 100 residents of the suburb of Ryde signed a petition to have small cell 4G antennas (which will later be upgraded to accommodate 5Ginfrastructure) removed from the Ryde residential area. Unlike larger towers, small cell antennas do not need planning approval under the Federal telecommunications act. Sue Cappadonna, spokesperson for the group, said “We don’t want it here, it causes us great anxiety that this thing is going to be running 24/7”. (5)

In response, Dr. Geza Benke from Monash University’s Department of Occupational and Environmental Health said that residents living near small cell boxes (antennas) had nothing to worry about. He then made a rather surprising statement that:

The exposure which people get from these antenna (small cells) is no more than you would get from a large antenna. . . over the next two years the small cell boxes would become commonplace, as they are considered a critical component of “filling in the gaps” for the high-speed 5G network…” (6)

As “these antenna” can be erected without local authority and community permission on bus shelters, light poles, power poles, etc. close to homes in residential areas, it is questionable whether concerned residents would be put at ease by Benke’s statement.

Responding to the above ABC News item about the Ryde community 5G concerns, Adam Verrender, a PhD Student, under the supervision of Rodney Croft at the Australian Centre for Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research (ACEBR), wrote a reply for the ABC News on January 9, 2019. His article started out with his claim that:

 Decades of scientific research has found no evidence of any adverse health effects[from mobile phones] but still the public remains concerned. Even studies looking at long-term damage, such as brain cancer, have not found evidence of increased harm. (7)

Such a disingenuous claim of “no evidence” is at odds with the decision of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which, in 2011, classified radiofrequency emissions from mobile phones as a possible human carcinogen, based on the 13 nation Interphone study on mobile phone use (8).

Verrender also claimed in his article that the continuing debate over adverse health effects from “phone tower anxiety” is being “fuelled by misinformation, scepticism and a complex psychological phenomenon known as the nocebo effect”. As a result of this according to Verrender “it’s little wonder this contentious issue persists, particularly given wireless technologies are so pervasive”. (9)

As for evidence that any adverse effects from radiofrequency exposure, such as electro-hyper-sensitivity (EHS) are purely psychological, Verrender mentions in his article the provocation study designed by ACEBR which supported the view that a complex psychological phenomenon, the nocebo effect, could explain the condition (EHS). What he failed to mention was that the ACEBR study finding was based only on three subjects and therefore lacked sufficient statistical significance to back up his claim (10, 11).

As for the scientific validity of the ACEBR provocation study, in 2013 CSIRO scientist and statistician, Dr. David McDonald conducted an analysis of the proposed ACEBR provocation study. He concluded in part:

As it stands the proposed experimental design and statistical analysis cannot be used to achieve the stated aim. The scientific and statistical shortcomings of the proposed [study] are each serious flaws in themselves and their cumulative impact and interaction render the proposal scientifically indefensible. All of them need to be corrected in a major revision of the proposal. (12)

According to Dariusz Leszczynski (13) who has studied McDonald’s full critique and later versions of the ACEBR test protocol, he saw no changes and considered it as an exact repetition of the earlier design (14). Leszczynski has written extensively about the many weaknesses on provocation testing, including that designed by ACEBR, and has published an open letter on the weaknesses of EHS provocation research (15).

A sampler of growing international opposition to 5G network rollouts

In 2017 an international 5G Appeal was launched by scientists and doctors who are calling for the EU to halt the roll out of 5G due to serious potential health effects from the technology. As of April 24, 2019, 231 scientists and medical doctors have signed the appeal (16).

• March 24, 2019: Portland Oregon city officials in the US stated their opposition to the installation of 5G networks around the city, supported by the mayor and two commissioners. The city officials considered that 5G health risks were not well enough understood to warrant installations (17).
• March 28, 2019: Florence, Italy, applied the precautionary principle by refusing permission for 5G infrastructure and referring to “the ambiguity and the uncertainty of supranational bodies and private bodies (like ICNIRP)”, which “have very different positions from each other, despite the huge evidence of published studies”(18).
• March 28, 2019: The Roman district “XII Municipality of Rome” voted against allowing 5G trials, with other districts expected to follow. Other motions to stop 5G are expected in the four regional councils, one provincial council and other municipal councils of Italy (19).
• April 1, 2019: Plans for a pilot project to provide high-speed 5G wireless internet in Brussels have been halted due to fears for the health of citizens, Environment Minister Céline Fremault said that “The people of Brussels are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit. We cannot leave anything to doubt” (20).
• April 4, 2019: The House of Representatives of the Netherlands expressed its concern over the possible health risks of radiation from the new 5G network. Political parties want to know as a matter of urgency what the dangers are before 5G is rolled out on a large scale (21).
• April 5, 2019: The California Supreme Court Justices unanimously upheld a 2011 San Francisco ordinance requiring telecommunications companies to get permits before placing small cell antennas on city infrastructure (22).
• April 8, 2019: A petition asking the German Parliament to stop the award of 5G frequencies has reached 54,643 signatures, surpassing the quorum, according to an environmental campaign group called ‘Diagnose: Funk’. The German Parliament may decide to suspend the procedure to award 5G frequencies based on “scientifically justified doubts about the safety of this technology”, according to the petition (23).
• April 9, 2019: Switzerland’s 3rd largest region, Canton of Vaud adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on 5G antennas until the publication of a report on 5G by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (24). Other cantons may follow with further moratoriums (25).
• April 11, 2019: Geneva adopted a motion for a moratorium on 5G, calling on the Council of State to request WHO to monitor independent scientific studies to determine any possible harmful effects of 5G.(26)
• April 20, 2019: Switzerland announced that it will monitor 5G health risks as a result of a pushback from citizens who claim that 5G emissions present dire health risks (27). Four cantons have now stopped 5G networks, Jura, Geneva, Vaud and Neuchâtel. Comprising 1.5 million people. However, the majority state-owned Swisscom defied these cantons by activating 5G stations in 102 locations by upgrading existing antennas installed for previous generations of wireless technology (28, 29).

********************************************

So, what are we to make of all this. Are there valid concerns over the rollout of 5G technology, or is this all needless worry from a misled public, as suggested by those connected with ACEBR and Prof. Simon Chapman?

Validating community concerns

In early 2019 the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies Directorate-General for Internal Policies (European Commission), was commissioned by the EC’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) to prepare an in-depth analysis on the deployment of 5G technology in the EU, the USA, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

This report, titled 5G Deployment: State of Play in Europe, USA and Asia, was published in April 2019. The authors point out that the global roll out of 5G is not a short-term race and that “5G is more complex than previous wireless technologies and should be considered as a long-term project to solve technical challenges and develop a clear business case”.

As for those “technical challenges” this is mentioned in the executive summary (excerpt):

As 5G is driven by the telecoms supply industry, and its long tail of component manufacturers, a major campaign is under way to convince governments that the economy and jobs will be strongly stimulated by 5G deployment. However, we are yet to see significant “demand-pull” that could assure sales. These campaign efforts are also aimed at the MNOs but they have limited capacity to invest in the new technology and infrastructure as their returns from investment in 3G and 4G are still being recouped. The notion of a “race” is part of the campaign but it is becoming clear that the technology will take much longer than earlier generations to perfect. China, for instance, sees 5G as at least a ten-year programme to become fully working and completely rolled out nationally. This is because the technologies involved with 5G are much more complex. One aspect, for example, that is not well understood today is the unpredictable propagation patterns that could result in unacceptable levels of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation. (30)

Unpredictable propagation patterns

To visually understand what is meant by those unpredictable propagation patterns mentioned in the EC 5G report it is worthwhile examining an Ericsson PowerPoint presentation, titled Impact of EMF limits on 5G network roll-out.

The presentation was prepared by Christer Törnevik, Senior Expert, EMF and Health, Ericsson Research, Stockholm Sweden. The presentation was given at The International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Workshop on 5G, EMF & Health, Warsaw, Poland on December 5, 2017.

In part, the presentation concluded that with increased human exposure levels from 5G antennas, EMF exposure compliance in some nations will be difficult. To quote: “In countries with EMF limits significantly below the international science-based ICNIRP limits the roll-out of 5G networks will be a major problem”(31).

The 5th Asian and Oceanic IRPA Regional Congress on Radiation Protection (AOCRP-5) Melbourne, Australia, May 20 – 23, 2018

At a recent scientific conference by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency two expert presentations gave reason to pause in the rapid roll out of 5G millimetre waves. The first was by Dr. Dariusz Leszczynski, adjunct professor of biochemistry, University of Helsinki, Finland and chief editor of Frontiers in Radiation & Health, Lausanne, Switzerland. In his presentation, titled 5G Millimetre-Waves Health & Environment, Leszczynski examined the serious limitations of biomedical research on millimetre waves but from what studies that are available, it should cause great concern. He specifically called for the urgent need for research on 5G millimetre waves because of the rapidly ongoing deployment of 5G technology (32).

Another presentation was by Dr. Andrew Wood, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. Titled ‘What is the current status of research on mm-Wave frequencies’, Wood mentioned two areas of uncertainty with 5G radiation:

• Skin and eyes are regions of concern in regard to 5G frequencies (6-60 GHz) and beyond.
• Could be resonant enhancement absorption due to skin structures.(33)

Possible effects on trees and foliage

Another possible problem specific to 5G millimeter emissions is that they can be disrupted or blocked by trees and foliage, especially after rain. This creates a potential problem for suburban streetscapes. Will residents have to choose whether they prefer a pleasant green environment or great download speeds (34)?

The potential problem of trees and 5G reception has not escaped Telstra’s notice. To quote from Mike Wright, Telstra’s managing director of networks:

“Telstra is also funding research into whether uniquely Australian obstacles – including flora – will disrupt 5G signals, which occupy a higher frequency and don’t travel as far as other mobile signals. “Something that seems to be unique to Australia, and we found with earlier standards, is how gumtrees impact those radio signals and the way they get from the radio tower to the end user”. (35)

In a September 2018 New Zealand court case the judge ruled, in relation to a property owner’s trees blocking a neighbour’s wi-fi reception, that “undue interference with a wi-fi signal caused by trees could constitute an undue interference  with the reasonable use and enjoyment of an applicant’s land for the purposes of s335 (1)(vi) of the {property law} Act.” Lawyer and IT specialist Rick Shera said of the case: “This decision is interesting because it finds that, in some circumstances, neighbour A can require tree trimming, or removal, repair or alteration of a structure, on neighbour B’s land, where the trees or structure unduly interfere with the neighbour A’s wireless connectivity.” (36)

As 5G transmissions may be more prone to being blocked by trees than wi-fi signals what will be the legal implications if this turns out to be an issue?

An important question: Can 5G phased array antennas generate Brillouin precursors?

In early 2002 the New York based technical publication, Microwave News published an examination of a rather arcane topic: Brillouin Precursors. The issue at that time was non-ionising radiation from the phased array PAVE PAWS radar facility at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.  A Brillouin precursor is a very fast pulse of radiation, which when it enters the human body, may generate a burst of energy that can travel much deeper than predicted by conventional models.

In a Microwave News interview with Professor Kurt Oughstun (37), he explained how Brillouin precursors are generated by phased array radar antennas. When asked, “Are Brillouin precursors unique to PAVE PAWS radiation?”, Oughstun replied:

“No – not at all. As data transmission rates continue to increase, wireless communication systems will approach closer to and may, at some time in the not-too-distant future, exceed the conditions necessary to produce Brillouin precursors in living tissue. (38)

It must be pointed out that it is not known if Brillouin precursors would be created by 5G phased array antennas as no research has been done – so this is hypothetical. However, considering the uncertainties mentioned in the recent EC report on 5G, mentioned earlier, this possibility should be investigated:

One aspect, for example, that is not well understood today is the unpredictable propagation patterns that could result in unacceptable levels of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

Concluding thoughts

What is apparent in this controversy is that the public’s perception of risk and that of some experts defending the technology is at wide variance. The assurances of a complete absence of risk from 5G networks coming from these experts is not reflected in what is known about the many uncertainties which exist with 5G technology and speaks more about their own ignorance than that of concerned communities.

What we are seeing here is an example of what has been defined as technological fundamentalism. To quote from Robert Jensen:

Technological fundamentalists believe that the increasing use of evermore sophisticated high-energy, advanced technology is always a good thing and that any problems caused by the unintended consequences of such technology eventually can be remedied by more technology. Those who question such declarations are often said to be “anti-technology,” which is a meaningless insult. All human beings use technology of some kind, whether stone tools or computers. An anti-fundamentalist position is not that all technology is bad, but that the introduction of new technology should be evaluated carefully on the basis of its effects—predictable and unpredictable—on human communities and the non-human world, with an understanding of the limits of our knowledge.(39)

References

1. No 5G in the Blue Mountains, https://www.no5gbluemountains.org/
2. Lewis B.C., “No 5G in the Blue Mountains packs council chamber”, The Blue Mountains Gazette, January 31, 2019, https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/5878465/move-to-stop-5g-in-the-mountains/
3. ibid.
4. Chapman S., Whack-a-mole: Knocking the “mobile phones cause cancer” claim on the head, January 23, 2019, https://simonchapman6.com/2019/01/23/whack-a-mole-knocking-the-mobile-phones-cause-cancer-claim-on-the-head/
5. Raper A., Sas N., “Huawei-made ‘small cell’ boxes hit suburban Sydney, as residents raise health concerns”, ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-07/huawei-small-cell-network-comes-to-sydney/10688124
6. ibid.
7. Verrender A., “Phone tower anxiety is real and we’re worrying ourselves sick”, ABC News, January 9, 2019, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-09/huawei-small-cell-boxes-fuelling-phone-radiation-anxiety/10701856
8. WHO, Interphone study on mobile phone use and brain cancer risk, July, 2010, http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/cancer/news/news/2010/7/interphone-study-on-mobile-phone-use-and-brain-cancer-risk
9. Verrender A., “Phone tower anxiety is real and we’re worrying ourselves sick”, ABC News, Jan 8, 2019, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-09/huawei-small-cell-boxes-fuelling-phone-radiation-anxiety/10701856
10. Maisch D., The sad state of affairs with Bioelectromagnetics Research in Australia, https://www.emfacts.com/2016/11/the-sad-state-of-affairs-with-bioelectromagnetics-research-in-australia/
11. Leszczynski D., Open Letter on the Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Research, February 4, 2018, https://betweenrockandhardplace.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/open-letter-on-the-electromagnetic-hyper-sensitivity-research/
12. Maisch D., “A historical revisit to ACEBR’s questionable provocation testing”, March 27, 2019, https://www.emfacts.com/2019/03/a-historical-revisit-to-acebrs-very-questionable-provocation-testing/
13. Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, University of Helsinki Finland (retired), and Chief Editor of “Radiation and Health” specialty, Frontiers in Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
14. Maisch D., as above.
15. Leszczynski D. ibid.
16. The 5G Appeal, http://www.5gappeal.eu/scientists-and-doctors-warn-of-potential-serious-health-effects-of-5g/
17. Satney J., “Portland Official’s Attempt To Block 5G Network Installation Over Health Risks”, PrepForThat , March 24, 2019, https://prepforthat.com/portland-blocking-5g-networks-over-   health-risks/
18. Oasi Sana, “Florence brakes on 5G and applies the Precautionary Principle”. 28 March 2019, https://oasisana.com/2019/04/05/provoca-danni-al-corpo-firenze-frena-sul-5g-e-applica-il-principio-di-precauzione-approvata-con-voto-quasi-unanime-la-mozione-in-difesa-della-salute-notizia-esclusiva-oasi-sana/
19. Terra Nuova Italy, “A Municipality of Rome votes against 5G: what will the Giunta do?”,https://www.terranuova.it/News/Attualita/Un-Municipio-di-Roma-vota-contro-il-5G-cosa-fara-   la-Giunta 
20. The Brussels Times, “Radiation concerns halt Brussels 5G development, for now”, 01 April 2019, http://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels/14753/radiation-concerns-halt-brussels-5g-for-   now
21. AD Netherlands, “Chamber wants radiation research first, then 5G network”, 4 April 2019,https://www.ad.nl/tech/kamer-wil-eerst-stralingsonderzoek-dan-pas-5g-netwerk~ab567cd6/
22. Egelko B., “California Supreme Court Sides with Cities in Small Cell Faceoff”, San Francisco Chronicle, April 5, 2019, https://zero5g.com/2019/california-supreme-court-sides-with-cities-   in-small-cell-faceoff/
23. Telecompaper, “Germans petition Parliament to stop 5G auction on health grounds”,https://www.telecompaper.com/news/germans-petition-parliament-to-stop-5g-auction-on-health-grounds–1287962
24. del sol Beaulieu J., “5G moratorium in Switzerland”, Take Back Your Power, 9 April 2019,https://takebackyourpower.net/5g-vaud-switzerland-adopts-moratorium/
25. LE TEMPS,  “5G: after the Vaud moratorium, the storm”, 9 April 2019,  https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.letemps.ch%2Fsuisse%2F5g-apres-moratoire-vaudois-tempete
26. LE TEMPS, “ Geneva adopts motion for a moratorium on 5G, 11 April, 2019, https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/geneve-adopte-une-motion-un-moratoire-5g
27. Satney J., “Switzerland Says It Will Monitor 5G Health Risks” April 20, 2019, Prefotthat.com, https://prepforthat.com/switzerland-to-monitor-5g-health-risks/
28. Hardell L., “Deployment of 5G stopped in Switzerland, Lennart Hardell’s blog, https://lennarthardellenglish.wordpress.com/2019/04/24/deployment-of-5g-stopped-in-switzerland/
29. del sol Beaulieu J., “5G: Swiss Telcos Ignore Official Laws and Launch 5G; Rule Of Law Under Attack”, Tale Back Your Power, 23 April 2019, https://takebackyourpower.net/5g-      swiss-telcos-ignore-laws-and-launch-5g-rule-of-law-under-attack/
30. Blackman C., Forge S., “5G Deployment –State of Play in Europe, USA and ASIA’ European Parliament, April 2019, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2019/631060/IPOL_IDA(2019)631060_EN.pdf
31. Tornevik C.,”Impact of EMF limits on 5G network roll-out, ITU Workshop on 5G, EMF &Health Ericsson Research, Stockholm, December 5, 2017, https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/20171205/Documents/S3_Christer_Tornevik.pdf
32. Leszczynski D., Report from the AOCRP-5, May 20-23, 2018, https://betweenrockandhardplace.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/leszczynski-report-from-the-aocrp-5.pdf
33. Wood A., “What is the current status of research on mm-wave frequencies?-in relation to health”. May 18, 2018, https://betweenrockandhardplace.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/emerg_may18_wood_wide_no-pics.pptx
34. Wooding D., “5G TREE THREAT, New 5G phone system could face reception problems from trees with too many leaves, The Sun, March 18, 2018, https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5838497/5g-phone-system-reception-problems-trees/
35. Hatch P., ‘Telstra pushes for 5G that Works in Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, January 9, 2017, https://www.smh.com.au/business/telstra-pushes-for-5g-that-works-in-australia-20170109-gto0gz.html
36. Keall C., Property owner can be forced to cut trees if they interfere with a neighbour’s Wi-Fi, judge says, New Zealand Herald, September 18, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12127228
37. Dr. Kurt Oughstun is a professor of electrical engineering and mathematics at the University of Vermont, Burlington. He has done extensive work on the propagation of extremely short electromagnetic pulses through different types of materials, and is the author of more than 50 published papers, as well as the textbook Electromagnetic Pulse Propagation in Causal Dielectrics with G.C. Sherman (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1994).
38. Slesin, L., Brillouin Precursors 101 with Professor Kurt Oughstun, Microwave News, Vol 22, No. 2, March/April 2002, pp. 10-11, https://microwavenews.com/news/backissues/m- a02issue.pdf
39. Jensen R., “Technological Fundamentalism”, Counterpunch, January 28, 2011, https://www.counterpunch.org/2011/01/28/technological-fundamentalism-2/

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