You can’t see or feel 5G technology. But if you’re walking through any major city, it’s probably there.
5G offers vastly superior communication speeds and makes novel technologies, like smart cities, possible.
With that said, 5G is a worrying technology. Like many others, it is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it gives people things they want, such as better internet connectivity, but on the other, it could cause damage to the environment.
Blushield distributors are already building various protective shielding products that can protect people and their possessions against the type of radiation 5G emits. However, their work is only the start. The growth in 5G technology is going to create tremendous demand for additional protections because of the potential harm to wildlife.
But first, how does 5G actually work?
5G is basically a communication technology that lets users send more data via data nodes, increasing bandwidth and reducing latency. To achieve these goals, 5G uses a combination of different frequency bands, including low-band (below 1 GHz), mid-band (1-6 GHz), and high-band (above 24 GHz), also known as millimeter wave (mmWave).
Previous generation networks, such as 3G and 4G used low and mid-band millimeter waves. These were able to penetrate buildings and travel through obstacles.
Unfortunately, they had limited bandwidth. City networks would often get choked with data demands, leading to poor service, especially in over-saturated developing markets.
5G changed this dynamic by relying on thousands of small cells and smaller base stations located all over cities, such as street corners, lamp posts, and rooftops. These communicate with other larger cells to provide the benefits described above.
How 5G Affects Wildlife And Trees
There are concerns, however, that 5G could adversely affect wildlife and trees. Studies show, for instance, that it can change how wildlife behaves. Radiation from masts can affect the orientation of birds, their reproduction, growth, and development.
For instance, certain mmWave radiation can have an impact on birds’ ability to navigate their environment. This can make them more prone to getting lost and being unable to find their usual sources of food. Insects may also be affected. They use the Earth’s magnetic field to tell them the general direction of travel. If there is a lot of mmWave radiation in the environment, they may lose this ability.
mmWave can also damage the cellular structure of plants, especially trees, according to some studies. It can cause reduced growth or increased susceptibility to diseases in some cases.
Interestingly, though, these claims do not yet have scientific consensus. While there is a lot of evidence for harm, the scientific community is currently dragging its feet on the issue. As a slow-moving set of ideas, it is still operating under the belief that these types of radiation are inconsequential and don’t cause problems.
However, if 5G does turn out to be harmful, it wouldn’t be the first time the scientific community got something wrong and later had to backtrack. Other good examples include smoking and the pregnancy drug, thalidomide.
