5G consultation; submissions due by 30 April

by Katherine | 26 Apr, 2018 | Uncategorized

5G is the highly touted next generation of wireless communications that is designed to give faster download speeds that what is possible with the 4G network currently available in much of NZ.

Unfortunately, moving to a 5G system would entail increased exposure to wireless radiation for most New Zealanders.

In fact, the initial stage of the 5G system proposed for NZ would involve a doubling of cellular phone base stations in urban areas of NZ.

The second stage of a 5G system in NZ would likely be followed by installation of “small cell” units transmitting in the millimetre wave band.

These “small cell” units could be placed every 250 metres in urban areas.

If you think that more wireless radiation in the environment would NOT be a good thing – especially considering that most New Zealanders have acceptable access to the internet via the copper landline system, the new fibre optic networks being progressively rolled out around the country and/or the 4G system – NOW is the time to let the government know.

Radio Spectrum Management of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and it has called for a consultation on 5G in NZ.

(Similar consultations have been taking place in other countries including Australia and the USA.)

The consultation period ends at 5 PM on Monday April 30.

(Apologies for the horribly short notice.)

The consultation discussion document may be downloaded from the link below:

https://www.rsm.govt.nz/projects-auctions/current-projects/preparing-for-5g-in-new-zealand-technical-consultation/5g-spectrum-road-map-discussion-document.pdf/view

How to make a submission

Below you will find a summation of some points of concern in the consultation document.  If you are in agreement with one or more of these points of concern please consider taking 5 minutes to write a submission.

Please email your submission to the email address below:

Radio.Spectrum@mbie.govt.nz

Please use the subject line:  “Preparing for 5G in NZ”.

Please note that a submission becomes a public document so consider what information you include.

It is best to put your name and address in the body of the email and write your submission with just your name at the top of the page and attach it to the email as a separate document.

There is information below to help you write your own unique submission.

If you decide to make a submission, please email through the contact form  at this link https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/contact-us/ to let Stop Smart Meters NZ know. Thank you.

Key points from the Radio Spectrum NZ discussion document include:

• That that existing 4G cellular phone infrastructure is likely to be initially be used as a “control layer” for a planned 5G network and that this is likely to mean a doubling of cellular phone towers in urban areas of NZ.

If a doubling of cell phone towers in your town or city (or your closest town or city) is something that would concern you from a health perspective* this is something that you could mention in a submission.

*For example, because you or someone you know are electrosensitive or because of the research showing increased cancer rates in people living close to cellular infrastructure or another reason.

If you would be concerned about the possible impact on property values in your area if more cellular phone towers are built this could be something that you could mention in a submission.

• That frequencies described as “millimetre wave” frequencies are being considered as part of a 5G system for NZ.

According to the link below, these frequencies cannot travel more than 250 metres which means that areas where 5G uses millimetre wave frequencies will need to have millimetre wave transmitters every 250 metres or less.

http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=2CDCB14D-CEE1-6959-5492-B63AD004AE6D

• That a 5G system in NZ could eventually facilitate 1 million internet connections per square kilometre.

If you think that one million internet connections per square kilometre is ludicrous for a country that has only about 4.5 million people and a low population density, I think most people would agree with you.

The huge number of connections could be used to facilitate what has been called the Internet of Things (IoT) in which allows devices to communicate with each other.

(In his lecture in Auckland in 2013, Don Maisch PhD, an expert on standards for electromagnetic radiation described smart meters as a key component of the IoT – his lecture may be accessed via the following link:  https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/uncategorized/dr-don-maisch-auckland-lecture-now-online/ )

If you think that it is foolish to expose New Zealanders to the health risks of additional wireless infrastructure to facilitate appliances such as domestic fridge talking a smart meter, this is something that you could mention in a submission.

• That multiple 5G networks are being considered for NZ:

Quoting from the discussion document: “New Zealand has sufficient spectrum available for 5G to support the roll out of at least three national networks. All cellular mobile network operators have indicated their desire to build their own 5G network and compete at the infrastructure level.  Given this, there would have to be strong public policy reasons to prevent this occurring.”

If you think that if 5G is instituted in NZ, it would be better for people’s health to have only one 5G network rather than three (if Spark, Vodafone and 2 Degrees all decide to build their own 5G networks) this would be a good thing to mention in a submission.

• That one of the frequencies being considered as part of the 5G system (1400MHz) is already being used by the NZ Police, Chorus and the Airways Corporation.

Can you imagine the expense to the taxpayer of having to replace all NZ police personal radios and vehicular radio etc. systems?  On the face of it, the proposal to use a frequency needed by NZ Police as part of a 5G system is so idiotic that I am surprised it is included on the discussion document.

• That there are no safety standards in NZ for cellular phones!!!

According to the discussion document NZ has NO safety standards for the cellular phones on the market (but allows the importation of any cellular phone that is compliant with any other countries’ regulations) shows a worrying lack of concern for New Zealanders’ health.

It is especially worrying considering the research linking cellular phone use to brain tumours and the fact that according to the documentary Generations Zapped, there was NO  pre-market safety testing of cellular phones prior to their introduction to the market.

The Spectrum NZ discussion document does NOT suggest that NZ should do its own pre-market testing of cellular phones that are designed to be compatible with the 5G system.

There are already modems in development that are designed to be used in situations where there is both 4G coverage and millimetre wave coverage.)

Cellular phones that are 4G and 5G compatible would therefore potentially expose users to potentially carcinogenic RFR microwave radiation from the 4G system PLUS millimetre waves.

Based on the short wave length of millimeter waves, the main health concerns at this stage – further research is desirable – appear to be potential adverse effects on the skin and the eyes.

If you think that the NZ government should commission safety testing of 5G compatible modems and smart phones and other devices prior to their being marketed in NZ this would be a good point to make in a submission.

If you think that all the test data for 5G compatible phones data should be published on a publicly accessible website, this would be a good point to make in a submission.

• That Radio Spectrum Management is “seeking feedback on whether industry considers 5G antenna will comply with the NESTF.”

The NESTF is the “National Environnental Standard for Telecommunications Facilities”.

Under this standard the allowable emissions limit for 5G infrastructure using millimetre waves  (or any frequency in excess of 2 GHz to 300 GHz) is 10 million microwatts per square metre  (10 w/m2).

New Zealand’s standard for devices that produce RFR in the microwave range is already one of the poorest in the world.  In NZ the legal limit for  exposures to this type of radiation under NZS2772.1:1999  is much higher than in many other countries.  (For example, in China, Italy, Russia and Swtizerland, the limit is 10 times lower at 1 w/m2. )

NZ has high legal exposure levels despite the fact that RFR in the microwave range is classified as a possible carcinogen (type 2B) by the World’ Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and despite the fact that NZ has a high cancer rate.

If NZ’s already lax limits for exposure to RFR in the microwave range are revised upwards because the system proposed for 5G would be likely to exceed the current limit, this could have negative impacts on human health.

If you would oppose any increase to the allowable public exposure limit for RFR in the microwave range this would be a good point to include in a submission.

What is your overall attitude to 5G?

It may be worth adding to a submission what is your overall attitude to 5G…

For example:

Do you think that 5G is simply unnecessary because internet access in NZ is already acceptable in most ares?

Do you think that NZ should wait to see what health impacts 5G infrastructure and 5G compatible devices may have in other countries where this technology is adopted prior to rushing into adopting what is essential a technology of (at this stage) unproven safety?

Do you think that the cost (to individuals, families and society) of  loss of productivity due to illness and treating potential adverse health effects caused by greater utilisation of wireless technologies could end up outweighing any economic benefits of 5G?

Thank you for taking the time to read this document.

If you decide to make a submission, please email through the contact form  at this link https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/contact-us/ to let Stop Smart Meters NZ know.

To stay up to date with the smart meter issue (and other issues related to wireless radiation in New Zealand, please sign yourself up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz and/or like and follow the following Facebook pages:

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