5G Technology & Safety
5G is expected to deliver higher channel capacity, faster data rates and better mobile broadband.
5G stands for 5th Generation Technology and is the latest technological development of cellular-based wireless communication that helps keep the world connected. 5G should not be confused with 5 GigaHertz (5,000,000,000 Hertz), which is a measurement used for the frequency of electromagnetic waves.
Delivering 5G involves the use of radio frequencies contained within the Radio Spectrum, all of which is classified as Non-Ionizing Radiation on the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Some of these same radio frequencies are already used for television broadcasting, wireless broadband and other types of transmissions that already exist in our every-day environment. It is important to note that radio frequencies in the Radio Spectrum do not carry enough energy to directly damage human cells.
5G is expected to deliver higher channel capacity, faster data rates and better mobile broadband, and enable more revolutionary uses in sectors such as healthcare, education, energy, manufacturing and transportation. Consistent with the view that 5G will provide substantive benefit to society without adversely affecting health, it is being widely implemented across the globe.
In May 2021, the RA’s Board of Commissioners (“BOC”) issued a Final Report, Decision and Order to lift the temporary moratorium on the deployment of 5G technology in Bermuda with strict Health and Safety Standards and certain controls around antennae deployment. The decision to lift the moratorium is based on the regulatory Safety Requirements that stipulate exposure from any 5G infrastructure commissioned in Bermuda will not exceed the Appropriate Safety Standards and EMF levels that are specified as safe by the International Standards bodies.
There are compelling Benefits of 5G to consumers, and local and international businesses, which were also factors in lifting the moratorium. The BOC’s decision-making process included a thorough review of public feedback received from the consultation on Radio Frequency and 5G Safety, along with recommendations made from an independent Advisory Panel of experts, which conducted months of extensive assessment of radio frequency and 5G safety.
The BOC also took into consideration the findings of a recent independent radio frequency study across the island that shows the Measurements of EMF in Bermuda. The report from this study states that Bermuda’s current exposure to EMF radiation is less than 4% of the international standards for safe EMF exposure for humans.