MYTHS ABOUT 5G TECHNOLOGY

MYTH #1: COVID19 is spreading through the 5G network

FACT: COVID19 cannot be spread through 5G network

5G networks began to appear in cities and countries in 2018, but found wider application in 2019 – the same year that the first case of coronavirus appeared in Wuhan, China. Conspiracy theorists quickly linked the two, and based on fake news, they have triggered movements to halt a 5G network in many countries. But the coincidence of occurring of these events does not mean that there is a causal relationship between them.

Viruses cannot travel through radio waves. COVID19 is also spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks. COVID19 spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. People can also be infected by touching a contaminated area and then by their eyes, mouth or nose.

MYTH # 2: 5G has been secretly activated in North Macedonia.

FACT: 5G is still in the experimental phase in North Macedonia.

The claims of allegedly activating the 5G network in North Macedonia, as well as its detrimental impact on citizens’ health were denied, on 28 March 2020, by the Ministry of Information Society and Administration (MISA) and Makedonski Telekom.

MISA’s denial, published on their website, states that “5G network has not been launched in our country”. In addition, they inform the citizens that “the competent institutions have not implemented a frequency allocation procedure for the 5G network. Therefore, all concerns about the effects of the 5G network on public health are unfounded. ”

In its press statement, Makedonski Telekom most responsibly claims that “there is no 5G network in use”. Also, Makedonski Telekom points out that “so far the first demo has been made in 2018 and testing has been carried out for the operation of this new technology only in laboratory conditions and in a limited space in 2019“. At the end of the statement it was stated that “The Agency for Electronic Communications regularly conducts measurements for non-ionizing radiation, and in December last year tests were carried out on the tested 5G installation, which concluded that the total radiation of the 5G in the testing environment is far below the maximum allowed borders.”

MYTH # 3: We don’t need 5G, 4G is enough for us

FACT: 5G will significantly make people’s lives easier

5G is the next generation (5th generation) of wireless technology that is expected to change the way people live and work.

The 5G network can be built in a variety of ways with multiple bands of frequency bandwidth: low band, mid band, and high band.

High-frequency millimeter waves have a wider bandwidth that allows them to transmit more data to densely populated urban areas, but require base stations to be installed nearby and have limited penetration capacity in buildings.

Mid-frequency waves, unlike high-frequency, provide wider coverage and buildings do not pose a major obstacle. But much of the bandwidth of these waves is already in use, so there’s not much room for 5G development.

Low-frequency waves travel far beyond other bands – reaching over hundreds of square miles – and can cross multiple obstacles, providing a better, more secure signal indoors and outdoors.

Source: T-mobile.

The 5G network will be much faster than existing 3G and 4G, which will allow to connect to more connected devices than existing networks, improvements that will allow a wave of new types of technology products. The 5G wireless network allows users to download and upload multiple large documents at the same time, movies, video calls with incredible speed and quality.

MYTH # 4: 5G technology is harmful to human health and the environment

FACT: There are no health risks from using 5G network.

Concerning the potential impact of the 5G network on human health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is continuously monitoring and investigating the impact of wireless technologies on human health. Based on the analysis and research done so far, the WHO published the following on their website:

“… To date, after conducting numerous studies, no adverse health effects have been causally linked to exposure to wireless technologies. The level of radiation exposure from current technologies results in a negligible increase in temperature in the human body. As the frequency increases, so does the penetration of body tissue and the absorption of energy is increasingly restricted to the surface of the body (skin and eye). Given that overall exposure is below the threshold set by international guidelines, no consequences towards the public health are anticipated.”

There are two types of radiation, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

           a) Ionizing (harmful) radiation: WHO defines the ionizing radiation as radiation with a sufficient amount of energy that, when interacting with an atom, causes the removal of tightly bound electrons from the orbit of the atom, resulting in the atom being recharged or ionized.

           b) Non-ionizing (non-harmful) radiation: Non-ionizing radiation is a term that refers to radiation in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that does not have enough energy to cause ionization. Includes electric and magnetic fields, radio waves, microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet and visible radiation.

Waves with longer bandwidth and lower frequency (heat and radio) have less energy than waves with shorter bandwidth and higher frequencies (X and gamma rays). Not every electromagnetic (EM) radiation is ionizing. Only the high-frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes X and gamma rays, is ionizing.

Source: CNET.com

The frequency band that 5G will use will be part of the already existing 4G frequencies, which are 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz. In addition, frequency bands ranging from 24 GHz to 40 GHz will be used in the future, whereas the 25 to 30 GHz band is expected to be the mostly used. Most worrying about the citizens are the highest frequencies of 80-100 GHz, but they are unlikely to be used for mainstream. What citizens need to remember is that 5G will move in the frequency band of 24 to 40 GHz. For illustration, the existing 5G networks in the US are well below the maximum allowed levels of radiation, and in the UK they account for only 1.5% of the maximum permitted levels.

Therefore, we can conclude that 5G technology uses non-ionizing rays that do not have enough energy to cause harmful effects on the human health.

MYTH # 5: Western countries ban the 5G network due to harmful effects on health

FACT: 5G network is active in over 25 countries worldwide.

The first phase of the development of the 5G network is indoor and outdoor testing. If the test is successful, the 5G network installation process goes through 5 stages:

1. Deployment of infrastructure and network functions;

2. Network slicing, automation and connectivity;

3. MEC Application and Deployment Servers;

4. Secure Deployment;

5. Operational network (in function).

The first lab tests on the 5G network were made in the UK in 2012, for which purpose the 5G Innovation Center was founded, and the first field tests were done in 2017 in London. Since then, countries have been in a constant race to implement the 5G network. In addition, please see below a timeline of operational 5G networks by country:

Source: various sources.

The 5G network is live in over 25 countries worldwide. Namely, 5G networks are expected to generate $13.2 trillion in the global economy by 2035. Below is a summary of the five industries that would benefit the most.

Source: Visual Capitalist

The first field tests on the 5G network in the United States were made in mid-2016, and the trial 5G network was launched in 2017. But, the 5G network became operational for the first time in December 2018, with a total of 4 operators offering services that cover almost the entire US territory with a 5G network. For illustration, only T-Mobile covers over 5,000 US cities.

In 2016, the Chinese government said it made the first tests of 5G network in 100 cities. In China, the first trial 5G network was installed in February 2018 in the central province of Hubei. The capital of this province is the city of Wuhan, from where presumably the coronavirus began to spread. By the end of 2018, a total of 31 base stations were set up in Wuhan alone. However, the 5G network became operational on 1 November 2019, covering a total of 50 cities, with overall commercial use expected by 2022. In the midst of a pandemic, of which China is one of the most affected countries in the world, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIT) has announced that it will support operators to increase the coverage capacity with the 5G network. So far, one of the largest telecommunication operators, China Telecom, has set up about 75,000 operational antennas, with plans to reach 300,000 operational 5G antennas by the end of this year. The reason for this decision, and the question why the Chinese government is prioritizing the issue amid a worldwide struggle to deal with the pandemic and its associated economic consequences, remains an enigma.

In Russia, the 5G network was first tested during the Football World Cup. The pilot test was conducted by the Russian telecommunication operator “MegaFon”, with the help of Nokia 5G equipment. Interestingly, after a certain period, MegaFon signed a contract with Huawei for the development and implementation of 5G standards, even though in 2014 these two companies signed a cooperation agreement for the implementation of 5G network in Russia. The question that arises is why MegaFon rejected Nokia and continued cooperation with Chinese Huawei? The first operational 5G antennas were set up in Moscow on 8 August 2019 by Ericsson, in collaboration with Tele2. Except for Moscow, there is no data in which other cities operational 5G antennas have been installed. Forecasts are that by 2025, operators in Russia will be able to provide 5G services to 80% of the population.

In the United Kingdom, the first lab tests of the 5G network were made in 2012 for which purpose the 5G Innovation Center was founded, and the first field tests were done in 2017 in London. On 30 May 2019, the British telecommunications operator EE has launched the first operational antennas of the 5G network. In the UK, a total of 4 operators offer 5G network services (EE, 02, Three and Vodafone) which together cover a total of 12 regions.

In South Korea, a specialized 5G network research and implementation program has being implemented since 2012, and the first tests were carried out in February 2018 during the Winter Olympics in Pyongyang. In December 2018, pilot outdoor testing was conducted in Seoul. On 3 April 2019, the 5G network in South Korea became operational. Most noteworthy, South Korea is the first country in the world that has successfully implemented the 5G data transmission worldwide by satellite link. South Korea owns a total of 5 telecommunication satellites, which could cover 60% of the Earth’s surface with a 5G network.

What is evident here is a technological race between two blocs. One is Washington, and the other is Moscow and Beijing. Realizing that they are far behind Washington and its allies (the Western World), Russia and China are joining forces to build capacity and to “catch up” with the Washington bloc. In this regard, the spread of disinformation campaigns about the harmful impact of 5G network on human health and the environment in Western countries in order to slow down the process of implementation of 5G, especially in the US, favors only and exclusively Russia and China. As a result, a large number of people are signing petitions to stop the 5G network in their countries, protesting and triggering movements under the maxim of protecting people and the environment.

One of the states that was used as an “example” of the alleged rejection of 5G network in the dissemination of fake news narratives is Switzerland. First, the Financial Times, in its article published on 12 February 2020, announced that Switzerland had stopped using 5G because of health problems.

Immediately, on 13 February 2020, there was an express denial from the Federal Office for the Environment which states that, in a letter they sent to all 26 cantons, they can continue to issue 5G licenses for 5G adaptive antennas, as long as the Federal enforcement aid for adaptive antennas is available. To note, by the time this article was published, only four out of the 26 cantons in Switzerland (Vaud, Geneva, Neuchatel and Jura) had decided to suspend the authorization of new 5G mobile antennas until the government releases their report. According to the Swiss governing system, the cantons have the authorization to license the telecommunications infrastructure, but the central government in Bern has the full responsibility for its framework. In other words, the Swiss cantons have no legal authority to unilaterally impose moratorium on the installation of a 5G (fifth generation) mobile communication network. To illustrate, the telecommunications and internet provider Swisscom delivers 1Gbit/s fast 5G network to 90% of the population.

On June 17, 2019, F2N2 released an analysis, stating that the Geneva Canton had stopped the process of deploying 5G antennas, and the above refers to the latest developments in this field in Switzerland after the date of publication (June 17, 2019).

Last but not least, a lot of fake news was published about the installation of 5G networks in Slovenia. The first seminar for 5G pilot project in Slovenia was held in Budapest on 03 July 2018.

On 19 December 2019, A1 Telecom Austria Group launched its first 5G network test base station in Slovenia. In early January 2020, the State Agency for Telecommunications Networks and Services (AKOS) held a consultative meeting to conduct 5G spectrum licensing auctions, and at the same time in front of the AKOS building around 50 people protested to halt the licensing procedure. Former Minister of Public Administration, Rudy Medved, considering that the citizens are rightly concerned has organized a public debate with experts from various fields to determine the impact of the 5G network on human health and the environment. At the request of former Minister Medved, the government of Slovenia has removed the strategy of allocation of 5G spectrum, developed by the Regulatory Agency for Telecommunications Networks and Services (AKOS), from its agenda. It is important to note that the implementation process of the 5G network has not been suspended, but the adoption of the agenda and the date for conducting the 5G licenses auction has been delayed. On March 13, 2020, the role of Minister of Public Administration was taken over by Bostjan Koritnik, and shortly after that a group of people filed a petition to Minister Koritnik requesting from him to ban the implementation of the 5G network in Slovenia, without further investigating its health impact on people and the environment.

On the other hand, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy, Robert Strayer, stressed the importance of Slovenia to independently decide which operator to designate, but recommended implementing all security measures for secure communication in order to protect sensitive data. Referring to the Chinese operator Huawei, Strayer noted that “China has no independent judiciary, rule of law and in fact there is a law called the National Intelligence Law of 2017 which requires all entities in China to respect the mandate for intelligence and security services”. Therefore, it is important to choose the right operator because the interoperability and mutual cooperation of NATO allies can be degraded by the fact that they cannot share certain information through communications networks due to the fear of being compromised, which will further complicate the process of undertaking action and rapid response by NATO.

MYTH # 6: Republic of North Macedonia must implement 5G network as a condition for NATO membership

FACT # 1: Sec-Gen Stoltenberg has never said that implementation of 5G is a condition for membership.

In a statement for Voice of America on 15 November 2019, among other things, the Secretary-General spoke about the implementation of the 5G.

In a statement, SecGen Stoltenberg noted that NATO had recently updated the basic requirements for telecommunication and civil infrastructure, which, among other things, included the 5G network. These changes have been made to enable the smooth and secure operation of a safe and secure critical infrastructure in peace, in crisis situation, and of course in conflict. These requirements must be met by all allies. Hence, all countries that wish to be part of NATO must meet the NATO criteria, and one of them stipulates that any communication network including 5G must meet NATO security standards, as the existence of secure communication channels is crucial to the Allies. He added that military operations and NATO forces depend on civilian infrastructure, roads, bridges, airports and underwater telecommunication networks that connect the two sides of the Atlantic. Therefore, communication needs to run smoothly, without fear of being compromised.

FACT # 2: The Republic of North Macedonia became the 30th member of NATO.

Our country became the 30th NATO member country on 27.03.2020, and has not implemented 5G nationwide. The standards for security communication with the Allies have been met in the pre-accession phase, otherwise North Macedonia would not have been able to become a full-fledged NATO member until it will have met all membership criteria. In addition, Allies, including North Macedonia, are expected to invest in upgrading security communications systems, and if it is decided to install 5G, that network will have to meet NATO’s security communications standards.

Conclusion

These fake news narratives begin to spread out on 25 March, reaching its peak on 27 March 2020, the day the Republic of North Macedonia became the 30th full member of NATO. The intention is clear – defocusing the public of this important moment and creating a sense of fear and insecurity among citizens. What should be remembered is that, the non-ionizing rays are not harmful to human health and the environment, and hence, the 5G network will not cause harmful effects to human health.

Elmas Hasanovic, MIS – Project Coordinator, Info-Center for Euro-Atlantic integrations