Walking through the end of first quarter in 2021, we are sure you must be aware of buzzword “5G”. There has been a lot of hype surrounding the new technology since its inception and so is the curiosity. Along with the inquisitiveness there has come a torrent of myths, misinformation and facts as well. What is right and what’s wrong? What 5G can and can’t do? And a lot of concoctions!
To help you distinguish the fact and fiction, here is a brief fact check surrounding 5G. But first of all, let’s take a look at some background knowledge of 5G technology.
What is 5G?
5G – the fifth generation wireless mobile technology is a robust technology that will use considerably higher frequency than 4G networks i.e., between 28GHz to 39GHz to transfer data, Verizon said.
This means 5G will transform the world around it. Everything and everyone will be able to virtually connect at higher speeds, massive data storage capacity and super-low latency. The ideas of IoT, ultra-smart cities, machine learning, augmented reality, driverless cars, smart homes and smart healthcare will be much more efficient with 5G revolution and the list goes on…
As per the Qualcomm, 5G is expected to drive $13.1 Trillion worth of global economic output, create $22.8 Million jobs, and contribute $265 Billion global CAPEX and R&D annually by 2035.
Now, let’s start with the myths and concerns related to5G and evidences of why it’s not true.
5G could be cancerous to human health
This discussion has been around even before 5G. The dread didn’t simply begin with cell phone towers. Indeed, even before cell phones existed, some of the individuals believed that power lines were injurious to health and caused cancer.
In California, the state government passed Proposition 65 that constrained all organizations to publish a rundown of “synthetics that could cause malignant growth or cancer, birth defects, or other harm to human body.” Although the rundown contains synthetic substances that are cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), the rundown incorporates a wide assortment of chemicals and substances that we come into contact in the form of our everyday home items and are nontoxic like plastics, and plants.
It’s not uncommon to hear somebody around you say these days that “indeed, everything causes cancer.” That may be ascribed to 5G. But let us dig into scientific evidence to this concern.
As indicated by the current scientific research, there is no plausible connection between mobile telephony radiations and potential health conditions.
In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) discovered that a causal relation may possibly exist between mobile phone RF-EMF and the disease. In this way, IARC has approved mobile phone radiations as “carcinogenic” along with coffee, and bitumen emissions (and not as “cancer-causing” or “likely cancer-causing” which are the two higher classifications) as a precautionary measure.
The World Health Organization additionally says that considering the fact that the RF exposure level is very low… there is no persuading proof that the weak radio-frequency signals from wireless networks could cause harmful effects on health.
As of now, the discussion about 5G, to be cancerous or not, remains inconclusive.
5G could be behind Covid-19 pandemic
This myth could not be further from the truth and is allegedly being pushed by conspiracy theorists. How ridiculous is it to say that there is any connection between Coronavirus and 5G. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and 5G wireless technology lacks any logical or scientific arguments.
The rolling out of 5G infrastructure and the global pandemic coincidentally happened at the same time which gives an excuse to people to think like this. Furthermore, some rabbit holes on the web spread false notes that how Bill Gates had invented 5G to infect the world with COVID-19 and that’s why the US plans to vaccinate everyone around the world with a secret microchip. Absolutely flawed and false.
The World Health Organization stated as evidence that viruses are not capable of teleportation. They cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks.
Lastly, COVID-19 also widely spread in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks.
For example, an intense outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Iran, a country that has not introduced any form of 5G technology yet. On the other hand, South Korea has 5G deployments on a wide scale, but it has effectively kept its country safe using public health interventions. So, the myth is quite unreasonable and flawed.
The hidden objective behind 5G could be surveillance
This one is likewise a made up truth to guarantee that surveillance is the sole purpose behind conveying 5G networks; all past wireless technology generations were adequately fit to do that and there was no requirement for 5G.
The truth of the matter is that those networks were actually restricted in supporting arising use cases of remote network. Thus, 5G was resulting from the need for expanded data rates, ultra smart connectivity, lower latency rates, energy productivity and high mobility to help verticals like medical care, schooling, manufacturing, horticulture, public healthcare and transportation, among numerous others.
Like every technology, 5G has its pros and cons, and 5G, with its improved network offering, will probably be the same; however having ability doesn’t mean it will likewise be utilized adversely. There are sufficient guidelines set up to defend our privileges. The web, for instance, has fundamentally added to the headway of society yet it is also utilized for criminal operations. This doesn’t mean we should dispose of the Internet with every one of its advantages on the grounds that a couple of terrible components exploit it to carry out wrongdoing.
The Bottom Line
We have discussed most of the widespread myths about 5G and the absence of any serious evidence allows us to welcome 5G innovation.
The fast adoption of 5G will help put us in a more grounded position from an international focal point, guaranteeing we stay up with nations like China. Past that, 5G will push our IoT higher than ever, expand and enhance our obsession with cell phones and PCs and other mobile devices.
Albeit the entirety of the 5G advantages will not be quickly accessible, 5G will introduce drastic change in certain manners through different areas, step by step. Vehicles, cell phones, Alexa, medical procedures, mobile apps like duplicate photos cleaner, construction systems, and sustainable power will all profit. 5G will push our IoT higher than ever.
That is the reason it’s significant for us, as recipients of this forward-looking tech, to help slice through the concoctions of misinterpretations and lies.