5G - Information
Does the 5G frequency spectrum really go up to 100 GHz?
The consortium responsible for this has plans up to around 80 GHz. However, the highest frequency bands are only suitable for transmission in the immediate vicinity, from computer to screen, for example. In this respect, this upper frequency range is not so relevant for electrosensitive people, because it is in their own hands, whether you want to use such applications or not (if 5G becomes commercially available in this frequency spectrum in a few years’ time).
The planning for 5G in the frequency range around 28 GHz is much more concrete, where it is mainly about the (temporary) supply of, for example football stadiums, shopping centres and the like and for wireless Internet on railway lines and in local public transport. Here, too, the range is very limited and in order to minimise power consumption, providers will try to minimise power consumption, providers will try to concentrate the radiation as closely as possible to the absolutely necessary area. The demonstrations so far have revealed major technical difficulties, however, because even a tree blocking the direct line of sight to the transmitter has led to considerable reductions in the transmission rate and even to disconnections.
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Why is the sleeping area so important?
The frequency bands envisaged today are: around 700 MHz around 2 GHz between 3 and 4 GHz (also worldwide below 6 GHz, ‘sub 6 GHz band’) around 28/30 GHz up to around 80 GHz. The large gap between 4 GHz and 28 GHz is striking. The only radio services relevant to building biology in this range are ‘5 GHz WLAN’ (between 5 and 6 GHz) and a variety of radar frequencies between 8.5 and 9.5 GHz.
At which frequencies does 5G transmit?
Experts argue about this, as they do about the harmfulness of electrosmog in general. Just think of the decades-long debate about the harmfulness of asbestos! A precautionary minimisation of personal exposure to 5G radiation seems sensible. The following, physically undoubted correlation is reassuring: the higher the frequency, the lower the radiation propagation or, in other words: the higher the frequency, the higher the attenuation of the radiation (any RF radiation!) by the air alone or even more so by conventional building materials such as stone, wood or glass. In this respect, indoor spaces, i.e. flats or houses, already offer quite good protection against the higher 5G frequencies.
At which frequencies does 5G transmit?
The frequency bands envisaged today are: around 700 MHz around 2 GHz between 3 and 4 GHz (also worldwide below 6 GHz, ‘sub 6 GHz band’) around 28/30 GHz up to around 80 GHz. The large gap between 4 GHz and 28 GHz is striking. The only radio services relevant to building biology in this range are ‘5 GHz WLAN’ (between 5 and 6 GHz) and a variety of radar frequencies between 8.5 and 9.5 GHz.
At which frequencies does 5G transmit?
Experts argue about this, as they do about the harmfulness of electrosmog in general. Just think of the decades-long debate about the harmfulness of asbestos! A precautionary minimisation of personal exposure to 5G radiation seems sensible. The following, physically undoubted correlation is reassuring: the higher the frequency, the lower the radiation propagation or, in other words: the higher the frequency, the higher the attenuation of the radiation (any RF radiation!) by the air alone or even more so by conventional building materials such as stone, wood or glass. In this respect, indoor spaces, i.e. flats or houses, already offer quite good protection against the higher 5G frequencies.
Why are the 5G frequencies below 6 GHz particularly critical?
From a building biology perspective, it is particularly important to keep electrosmog levels low in sleeping areas because the organism should be free from external stress during sleep in order to regenerate.
For technical and commercial reasons, however, it is precisely these lower 5G mobile phone frequencies that will lead to increased radiation exposure with 5G in sleeping areas. This is because lower frequencies have a greater transmission range and better penetration of common building materials for the same amount of energy. This means for the mobile phone provider: With largely the same infrastructure costs, more customers can be covered, in other words: higher profits can be made. The same phenomenon is known from the significantly better area coverage of the lower mobile radio bands compared to the upper ones, for example in mobile radio (900 MHz compared to 1800 MHz for GSM, and 800 MHz compared to 1800 MHz compared to 2700 MHz for LTE) or 2.4 GHz WLAN compared to 5 GHz WLAN.
While 700 MHz is therefore particularly suitable for rural areas and smaller towns, the newly auctioned frequency bands between 3 and 4 GHz will be increasingly used in city centre locations in favour of higher data rates. Even if this means that more transmitters have to be installed at closer intervals. This is one of the main criticisms levelled by opponents of the 5G expansion.
Why is the market launch of 5G starting with the lower frequencies?
The laws of physics also apply to 5G and the hardware providers are reacting predictably: Firstly, there is the greater attenuation of high-frequency radiation by the air. From the provider’s point of view, ‘greater attenuation’ is synonymous with ‘more energy consumption and higher costs’ – the commercial consequence: the lowest possible frequency band is always favoured (as with GSM, LTE and WLAN). The upper 5G bands up to over 50 GHz will therefore remain reserved for very short distances with direct line-of-sight connections in the long term – a positive side effect for the population: their own four walls offer comparatively good protection.
The sarcastic phrase ‘money makes the world go round’ therefore benefits the general public here for once and rather incidentally… a small consolation in view of the further increase in overall RF exposure with 5G.