2 minute read
5G - 4th industrial revolution or crime against humanity? Pt 2
5G
4th industrial revolution or crime against humanity? Pt 2
Last month we delved into the world of 5G looking at the financial drivers behind setting up this global network.
This month Supernal looks at 5G frequencies used and how those frequencies can impact all lives on the planet. There is a massive amount of information available online. We are trying to get a broad cross balance of this information and providing links to follow up, allowing people to make their mind up.
Information from the Defense Innovation Board states that peak data rates are driven by the amount of spectrum available. In 4G, it is stated that five 20 MHz channels can be bonded. In 5G, up to five 100 MHz channels can be bonded, enabling speeds 20x faster than 4G.
Another key issue is the location on the electromagnetic spectrum. The world commonly uses below 6 GHz (low-mid band spectrum) called sub-6 in the 3-4 GHz bands.
The US civil and commercial sectors are unable to use sub-6 as this is allocated to the US government and military. This sector must use another band or wait 10 years for spectrum reallocation.
In addition, there are military vulnerabilities with sharing spectrum. Hence, the US, South Korea and Japan are focused on the 24-300 GHz (high-band spectrum) called mmWave, as the core domestic 5G approach. The tension around this, as mentioned last month, is the fear of not being the first mover in 5G. The challenge for the US is to convert the world to mmWave when the majority are on sub-6.
Sub-6 spectrum prov ides broad area network coverage with low risk of interruption, longer wave length, fewer EMF towers elevated above people. 5G mmWave is time and cost intensive to provide more coverage and requires massive infrastructure. US trials used 425 MHz-28 GHz of spectrum compared to the sub-6 GHz band.
Disruption to connectivity for mmWave includes the human body, vehicle and foliage. The equipment is mounted on utility poles and, in the trial of 72,735 macrocell towers and rooftops, which covered only 11.6 percent of US population at cell edge speeds of 100 Mbps with 3.9 per cent coverage at 1 Gbps range. For sub-6 same tower sites covered 57.4 per cent at 100 Mbps, 21.2 per cent at 1 Gbps. The cost calculates 13 million pole mounted base stations at $400 billion to deliver 100 Mbps at 28 GHz to 72 percent of the population.
Other commentators indicate that the US lost the trade war and the health effects are ignored as a result of the removal of consumer protections. Refer to https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v =W2EyQp7GP68
The public interest is a critical concern that seems to be not taken very seriously by telcos and other manufacturers, even governments. There’s a lot of noise saying ‘nothing to see here’, however there’s a genuine and growing concern about a cover-up that will cost lives. Think smoking cigarettes, asbestos, MDF and more.
