5G was not developed by the military to give you radiation poisoning

^{By Eiddwen Jeffery}

A popular online video has falsely claimed that 5G towers are a type of microwave weapon created by the military to give people radiation poisoning.

The video, published to Instagram in September 2024 by a self-described US businessman, claims that 5G towers are “not for internet at all. It’s a microwave weapon developed by the military to be used on the citizens.”

The video includes a timelapse clip of colourful swirls and flashes moving across a map of the US, which the presenter says proves 5G towers are “frying you with microwaves while you sleep” and causing people to feel “lethargic” and have “crazy dreams”.

“All of this stuff is radiation poisoning,” he says.

The presenter claims the clip shows “NEXRAD stations” pumping out microwaves that are dangerous. But he does not mention that these radar stations are used for weather monitoring and do not use 5G.

Data from Facebook shows the video has been reshared on pages managed by Australian users, including a page on which the video has been played more than 300,000 times.

5G does not give you radiation poisoning

5G refers to the latest generation of global wireless technology used for mobile and internet services, building on earlier iterations such as 4G. It enables mobile internet connectivity by transmitting data over radio waves, which emit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.

This type of radiation is non-ionising, meaning it does not directly damage DNA inside cells and lead to radiation poisoning. 

At very high levels, non-ionising radiation can damage tissue through heating, but in Australia, national safety standards for exposure to this type of radiation are set well below levels that can harm people.

These standards are set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and based on international guidelines produced by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, a scientific organisation that assesses and works to mitigate radiation-related risks.

Australia’s communications regulator maintains a public database of cell towers and the levels of electromagnetic energy they emit. It tested nearly 260 sites during 2021 and 2022 and found average exposure levels were less than 1.5 per cent of the Australian safety limit. 

There is no established scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects from 5G exposure to populations or individuals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), ARPANSA and the international radiation safety agency.

The WHO and ARPANSA continue to assess potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields among the population, including conducting studies to investigate specific areas of interest related to the technology. 

ARPANSA’s website warns that misinformation about health effects, 5G and radio waves in general is on the rise: “We urge you to be cautious of claims from anti-5G campaigns. These campaigns are generating unfounded fear and concern within the community,”

Radiation poisoning is caused by a high dose of ionising radiation, such as what might follow a nuclear attack or accident at a nuclear plant. Its symptoms include skin redness, hair loss, internal bleeding, burns and impaired functioning of tissues and organs, according to the WHO. 

Did the military develop 5G?

The term 5G does not refer to a single product but to an industry standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an international collaboration that works to ensure the interoperability of wireless technology worldwide.  

That group comprises seven regional telecommunications bodies, the majority of whose members are organisations such as research institutions, mobile network operators and other private companies.  

On its website, the 3GPP states that it defined "not only the air interface but also all the protocols and network interfaces that enable the entire [5G] mobile system.”

Branka Vucetic, director of the University of Sydney’s Centre for IoT and Telecommunications, told RMIT Lookout that while the military had contributed to the development of foundational communication technologies, the creation of 5G was driven by the 3GPP. 

As for the mobile network infrastructure, Professor Vucetic said: "the military were not engaged in the development or construction of 5G cellular towers”. 

“The infrastructure is deployed to serve commercial networks and consumers rather than for military purposes." 

She said commercial operators build the towers and then install the 5G equipment, which they buy from international vendors such as Nokia. Major tower operators include Telstra, Optus and TPG in Australia, and American Tower, Crown Castle and SBA communications in the US.  

Weather stations do not use 5G

The Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) referred to in video posted to social media is a government-operated network of 160 radars that has been used to monitor weather conditions in the US since 1988. 

Cynthia Fay, a meteorologist from the weather service, told RMIT Lookout the radars did not use 5G. She said the imagery shown in the video “displays microwave reflections from objects in the atmosphere” such as rain and snow.

That imagery was taken from a website that archives NEXRAD data for the purposes of monitoring bird migrations. Similar flashes can be seen in older clips archived well before the global rollout of 5G began in 2019.