A woman is sitting on a sofa in front of a bookshelf with a laptop on her lap and directs her gaze thoughtfully straight ahead.

5G and health

Like its predecessors, the new mobile telecommunications standard generates electromagnetic fields. Are there any risks to health involved? This section contains information about scientific findings, key radiation protection institutions and current concerns and anxieties.

Person sitting on the beach with an open laptop and has a mobile device in hand. Radiation is present in many areas of the everyday life.

5G mobile communications: what does radiation mean – and what are electromagnetic fields?

We encounter many types of radiation, including solar radiation, X-rays and radiation caused by mobile networks. What is the difference between them? What are the physical processes involved? And what does radiation actually mean?

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A man in a sweater is sitting on a sofa in front of indoor plants and is reading on his laptop. Many people are concerned that the new mobile communications standard carries health risks. We clarify and show reassuring scientific evidence.

Is 5G dangerous to us?

From cancer to infertility, many people are concerned that the new mobile telecommunications standard involves risks to health. This section contains information about the most widespread concerns – and shows that scientific findings to date offer reassurance.

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Bird's eye view of a transmission tower in front of a forest. New transmission towers are being built for the 5G network. However, the proximity to them and the electromagnetic fields is not dangerous.

Don’t get too close? Being near cell towers is not dangerous!

For each new mobile telecommunication standard, existing cell towers are converted or new ones are built. Do such installations pose a risk to our health? Studies to date indicate that this is not the case. And there is a further exciting correlation: in certain situations, 5G might even be potentially capable of reducing radiation exposure.

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Smiling businessman in the audience of a lecture in the foyer of an office building is holding documents in his hand. Germany is investing millions in scientific research into the health effects of 5G technology.

5G and health: findings to date

Is the new mobile telecommunications standard damaging to health? Since 2002 Germany has invested around 20 million euros in investigating the potential health consequences of electromagnetic fields. For this year and the next few years, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection have extensive research projects planned – with a particular focus on the new 5G mobile telecommunications standard.

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Building the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. Institutions around the world are researching possible health risks from radiation - including in Germany, such as the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.

BfS, WHO, etc.: institutions concerned with radiation protection

People have been researching the potential health risks of radiation for many years now. On both a national and an international level, a large number of institutions are addressing/dealing with this topic, and some have chosen to focus on mobile radiation and the new 5G technology. Here is an overview of the key players. 

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