Electromagnetic fields: low frequency
Since electricity was invented, we are surrounded by devices and machines that radiate electromagnetic fields. Not only outdoors  -for example- from high voltage train wiring and 20 Kilovolt power transport lines. Also the 230 volt wiring of your own house and your domestic devices like TL-lights, ovens, infra red cooking plates, fridges and electric blankets radiate low frequency electromagnetic fields. Most of them day and night.

The wireless society: high frequency sources
Todays society ‘runs’ on wireless connections and signals. We make phone calls and browse the internet using GSM, GPRS, Bluetooth and WiFi. We use GPS and WiFi for our navigation; we call via landlines using DECT phones and we ‘fish’ Radio and Television signals from the ‘aether’

From analog to digital
The technology used in these connections over the last 30 years has changed for nearly 100% from analogue to digital. From a technical perspective this has had 4 important consequences:

1. The ‘telecom frequencies’ have become extremely high.
2. The signals have obtained extremely ‘pulsy’ properties.
3. The frequency spectrum is filled to the maximum.
4. The power broadcasted by mobile devices and the mobile infrastructure is very high; According to some scientists higher than would be healthy for human beings *.

* Apple explicitly warns for this in the ‘fine print’ (‘legal notice’) delivered within your phones and other wireless devices.

Power output
The power emitted by you own phone is on itself already pretty high. The provider infrastructure typically is situated on high spots, and uses quite a lot of radio frequency (RF) power. On top of that comes the fact that there often is a multitude of providers ‘nested together’ in one spot. The consequence of all of this is that we live in a ‘soup’ of strong, pulsy high-frequency signals with a fully filled spectrum.  Especially the cumulative effect of ‘stacked providers’ -to me- is quite worrying.

The extreme ‘steepness’ of the signals that are broadcasted generates unwanted ‘spurious’ waves, resulting in a high-frequency ‘smog’ that comes on top of the broadcasted signals.

Influence on human beings
Up until now relatively few investigations have been conducted to the effects of this ‘High frequency soup’ on human beings. Silly enough, most standards are based on scientific publications which are paid for by the mobile telecom business. Other standards -often published by governments-  are mostly old, and based on the experience obtained in the analogue radio and television broadcasting era.

Long term effect
It is known that the long term effects of being exposed to ‘pulsed’ radiosignals often start to manifest after ±5 years. In other words: after about 5 years some people get ill.  Almost all scientific investigations paid for by the mobile telecom providers are limited to 2,5 years… Conclude for yourself what this means..

Complaints
The complaints of those who get ill range from dizzyness, headaches, lack of concentration to numbness and sleepyness. Some studies relate certain tumors like braintumors and breast tumors to extremely high frequency fields in the close vicinity of ears, brains, balls and breasts.

5G ‘buzz word’
There has been a lot of ‘fuzz’ in the media surronding ‘5G’. Other than you might think, 5G is not only about ‘higher frequencies’ or ‘more transmitters’. Whilst 5G might use higher frequencies and more transmitters, it is at the same time ALSO a totally new protocol to create wireless connections for digital signals.

This intelligent ‘5G-protocol’ is highly virtualized and works ‘under water’ with the ‘TCP-IP’ protocol (the most important internet protocol).  It is designed to be able to use the old  3G/4G GSM infrastructure as wel as the new infrastructure designed for 5G. What is significantly different for end users is, that you can have more than one connection with the infrastructure at a given point in time.

Why is 5G at all necessary?
The ‘hunger’ for bandwidth by end users has increased tremendously. This is triggered by visual applications like Twitter, Youtube, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and FaceTime as well as a growing need for efficient mobile browsing.

Apart from that there is an increasing number of smart devices that require a wireless internet connection (Internet of Things, IoT). 5G is is designed to deliver the right ‘Quality of Service’ for all of those different connections.

Planning
5G will be implemented gradually. In the beginning the 5G protocol will be used on the ‘old’ 3G and 4G infrastructure. At places where more bandwitdth demand is detected, there will be a trigger for using the new -extremely high- frequencies, designated for 5G.

Radiopropagation at extremely high frequencies: ‘line of sight’
Reliable radioconnections using these new -extremely high- 5G frequencies are only possible when the transmitter and the receiver can -literally- ‘see’ eachother. The signal has a hard time penetrating walls and floors. To keep a ‘line of sight’ at all time,  a distributed network infrastructure with a multitude of small transceivers is necessary in order to keep the connection alive.

Many of these 5G transceivers will be concealed in ceilings, street lanterns, on rooftops as well as in the already existing GSM ‘towers’.

Is there a risk in all of this for me or for my kids?
The answer on this question is difficult to give.  Basically the effect of pulsy signals on extremely high frequencies is dependent on the following factors:

1. Your sensitivity
2. The steepness of the pulses broadcasted
3. The frequencies used
4. The power density used
5. The time you are exposed to these fields
6. Your behavior w.r.t. handling your devices
7. Your age

Age seems to be an important factor. Research has shown, that especially young kids seem to be more vulnerable than adults.

Wat  can you do yourself?
6 of the 7 aformentioned factors can be measured and/or observed. Frequencies, pulse steepness, intensity and duration are measurable. You own behavior regarding using your mobile devices can be observed. It is extremely important to investigate this. Especially at places where you tend to ‘hang out’ a lot, like your car, your workplace(s), your living room and your sleeping room.

Once there is insight in the potential threats, simple and straight forward shielding measures can be taken to diminish the negative effects on your biology. Partly by adapting the setting, partly by adapting your behavior.

Radio-advice
At ‘transvorm’ we have specialized and certified measuring equipment available that works in all suspicious frequency bands ranging from DECT, GSM (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G), WiFi to radio, television and satellite.

Apart from that we can provide you with the latest scientific insights on the effects of electromagnetic fields; as well as the latest information on what you can do to shield yourself from damaging fields.

What can you do?
Want to read more on the subject? –> click here
Curious what you can do yourself ?  –> click here

 

Want to know more?
Call +31 682 635 691 or mail Han

 

 

About the author

Han Stouten has a broad experience in HF and LF electronics engineering and is a government licensed HAM radio amateur. He is certified by the Dutch ‘Agentschap Telecom’ for all modes and all frequency bands.

 

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