5G radiation: Are emission levels higher during downloads or uploads?
What's the story
A recent study by Project GOLIAT has shed important light on the levels of radiation exposure from 5G mobile devices.
The research was carried out in Switzerland, a leader in widespread 5G network deployment.
It specifically measured radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) levels in three different scenarios: when the phone was in flight mode, during heavy data downloads, and during data uploads.
Data collection
Over 30,000 data points collected across Switzerland
The research team gathered over 30,000 data points from urban and rural areas throughout Switzerland.
The urban areas consisted of major cities like Zurich and Basel, while the rural areas included villages such as Hergiswil, Willisau, and Dagmersillen.
This extensive data collection enabled a detailed analysis of RF-EMF levels in varying environments.
Exposure variation
RF-EMF exposure varies based on phone usage, location
The study found that when phones were in flight mode, the main source of RF-EMF exposure was mobile base stations.
In rural areas, the average exposure was recorded at 0.17 milliwatts per square meter (mW/m2), while urban areas showed higher averages: 0.33 mW/m2 in Basel and 0.48mW/m2 in Zurich.
However, these levels remained well below international safety guidelines, indicating typical phone usage isn't a radiation risk to users under normal conditions.
Radiation surge
5G data downloads and uploads increase radiation exposure
The study observed a drastic increase in RF-EMF exposure during maximum data download cases, with levels reaching an average of 6-7mW/m2.
This spike was due to the beamforming technology employed in 5G networks that directs signals more efficiently toward users.
The maximum exposure was during data uploads, averaging about 16 mW/m2 in cities and almost double in rural areas (29mW/m2), as phones need more power when base station density is low.
User caution
Actual user exposure could be up to 10 times higher
Adriana Fernandes Veludo, a researcher on the study, cautioned that real-world user exposure could be as much as 10 times higher.
This is because phones are usually held closer to the body than the measuring device used in their experiments.
The research also highlighted an interesting paradox: users in areas with fewer base stations may be exposed to higher radiation from their devices than those in densely connected urban environments.