Switzerland: 5G : We Must Protect the Population

5G : We must protect the population

Re article entitled : "L'arrivée de la 5G en Suisse suscite un intense débat" ["The arrival of 5G in Switzerland is generating an intense debate"] ("24 heures", 26 September 2018)

Letter to the Editor, 24heures.ch, 11 October 2018 - translation

5G requires greater capacity from our antennas but a
significant portion of the population fears exposure to
waves.  Keystone

The National Council is considering the revision of the Telecommunications Act. Some provisions reducing the exposure to waves of mobile telephony users could be ruled out, for example, the installation of cables instead of Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency electromagnetic (EM) fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). The Wi-Fi emits the same type of waves. Today, there is enough evidence to reclassify these waves as carcinogenic (Group 1).

The law would also not ensure the protection of children and young people from the dangers associated with the use of telecommunications services.



On 26 September, the National Councillor, Yvette Estermann, a physician, introduced two motions calling for better consideration of health in mobile telephony: not to raise the limit values for antennas and to collect data on the health status of the population regarding exposure to EM waves. According to a Swiss study (2010), 10% of the population suffer symptoms of electrohypersensitivity.  A federal government survey (2015) revealed that 52% of the population were concerned about the health consequences of mobile telephony. The public must be informed of the potential health risks of waves and appropriate protective measures. All electronic devices should carry warning labels

We sincerely hope that the provisions of these motions will lead to concrete actions by the authorities to better protect the health of the population.

by Meris Michaels