2020 has been a crazy year. Australia and California nearly burned to the ground, the UK withdrew from the European Union, and elections are just around the corner. Oh, and massive protests across the world have been demanding racial justice while a pandemic rages. At the same time, tremendous strides have been made in technology, astronomy, and science. One of the significant changes beginning in 2020 is the rapid implementation of 5G technology. 

1G brought the first phones, 2G brought text messaging, 3G brought internet access, and 4G brought faster speeds. 5G is the 5th generation of wireless technology, promising rates up to 15 times faster than current LTE bandwidth. That means that is has the potential to make your 5G supported devices run 15 times faster. These new improvements will accelerate development of self-driving cars, the Internet of Things (IoT), and new immersive experiences. But with this new technology, some networks require repeaters on every block, raising concerns for both the environment and human health. 

“5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices. 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries” — Qualcomm

So how does 5G work? It uses a different spectrum of light than current 4G technology: higher-frequency millimeter waves replace the standard radio waves. Yet some of the new 5G waves travel no further than ten millimeters. Unfortunately, this will require a much higher density of cell towers (MIMO) and small cells which act to amplify signals.  

More small cells and closer cell towers mean that more energy will go into these networks. Before 5G, 4G resulted in 2% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. While 2% may seem small, it's the equivalent of 860 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Luckily, 5G small cells use much less power than typical 4G towers. Unfortunately, this benefit is offset by the increase in density between towers, with four times as many towers required. With these new towers, we can expect the telecommunications industry to increase greenhouse gas emissions until renewable alternatives power these systems. 

Additionally, a side effect of 5G will be encouraging consumers to purchase and use more electronic devices. Cell phones, computers, tablets, and numerous other electronic devices put a significant strain on the environment. These products use rare materials obtained from harmful mining processing and utilize excessive energy in production. The average US household has about 25 electronic devices with that number expected to increase well over 50 with 5G. Unfortunately, it is complicated to recycle many of these electronics, leading to 2.4 million tonnes of electronic waste every year in the US alone. 

Besides all the waste and energy 5G will use, it also has a hidden side effect across the wildlife and our lives. The millimeter wavelengths of 5G may result in excess radiation, leading to more headaches, cancer, and even tumors. In a study by the Center for Environment and Vocational Studies of Punjab University, researchers observed that after exposure to radiation from a 4G cell tower for just 5-30 minutes, the eggs of sparrows were severely disfigured. When beehives were exposed to 4G cell towers with 900MHz waves for ten minutes, they fell victim to colony collapse disorder. If this is the impact of 4G, imagine the impact 5G may have with signals up to 100 times stronger. 

Ultimately, 5G will bring many advances that we need now more than ever. And it could also help promote a more connected and safer world. But the impact of its energy consumption, electronic production, and radiation can result in damage across the wildlife and our health. As research continues, we will gain new insights into this technology and learn how to build an environmentally conscious telecommunications industry. We don't want to put up a network that will be with us for the rest of our lives without finding out what it does to us and nature. 

Hey there! Below you can find the sources we used to 5G. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these sources.

Our Sources

"Durable Goods: Product-Specific Data | US EPA." US EPA, 7 Sept. 2017, https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/durable-goods-product-specific-data.

"Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data | US EPA." US EPA, 12 Jan. 2016, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data.

McCue, TJ. "24 Electronic Products Per Household -- Got Recycling?" Forbes, 2 Jan. 2013, https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/01/02/24-electronic-products-per-household-got-recycling/.

Wang, Li-Chun. "A Survey on Green 5G Cellular Networks." National Chiao Tung University Academic Hub, 20 Oct. 1222, https://scholar.nctu.edu.tw/en/publications/a-survey-on-green-5g-cellular-networks.

https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/7521097894.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

https://jsis.washington.edu/news/what-will-5g-mean-for-the-environment/.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258521207_Impacts_of_radio-frequency_electromagnetic_field_RF-EMF_from_cell_phone_towers_and_wireless_devices_on_biosystem_and_ecosystem-A_review.