Switzerland: Thousands of 5G Antennas Blocked

Thousands of 5G antennas blocked
by Christoph Pfluger, Zeitpunkt, 28 February 2020 (auto-translation)

A few days ago, the thousandth objection to a 5G antenna was filed. The association “Protection against Radiation” [«Schutz vor Strahlung»] reports this and speaks of a “factual 5G moratorium”. Swisscom is announcing 90 percent 5G coverage almost simultaneously. A contradiction? No, an interpretation question.

Since the legal basis for the construction and retrofitting of 5G antennas was relaxed in April 2019, the mobile phone operators have been trying with all their might to advance the network expansion. 5G promises a hundred times more data performance, but requires tripling of the limit values ​​and a massive increase in the number of antennas. This prospect has mobilized the 5G opponents and the radiation victims - the proportion of electro-sensitive people is around ten percent of the population. Its spearhead is the "antenna alarm", which is operated by the association " Protection against Radiation". It collects planning applications and supports those affected on site with the appeals. The antenna alarm set up in April proved to be extremely successful. The majority of building applications have been blocked since last summer; Swisscom does not want to disclose exact figures on request.



Last week, «Protection against Radiation» announced the thousandth objection to a 5G building application. There are also a few hundred from the “ Gigaherz ” association and other groups and organizations. On average, the objections of 90 people from the immediate vicinity of the planned antennas were signed, writes “Protection against Radiation”, a total of 90,000 people. This is a respectable number - which would almost be enough for a popular initiative - especially considering that the opponents are all from the immediate vicinity of planned antennas.

Most objections could not be dealt with conclusively. The reason for this is a legal uncertainty that arose from the relaxation of the “ Ordinance on Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation ” (NISV) from April 2019. The Federal Council is introducing a new measurement standard for the new adaptive antennas required for 5G. The maximum output of an antenna is no longer decisive for determining the limit value, but rather average values ​​over six minutes and over 360 degrees - adaptive antennas transmit in a targeted manner and with varying degrees of strength in the direction of the user. However, the Federal Council has delegated the determination of the measurement method to the Federal Office for the Environment.

What initially looked like a simple "implementation aid" developed into a problem that cannot be solved quickly. "There is still no standard worldwide that the FOEN could use for its recommendation," FOEN Vice Director Paul Steffen informed the cantonal authorities responsible at the end of January. The Federal Institute for Metrology (METAS) is to develop a measurement method and has a preliminary report(not even in an official language of Switzerland). But: "We cannot give a specific time horizon for this work." As an interim solution, the FOEN recommends that the cantons use the so-called “frequency-selective measurement method”, which “generally overestimates” the electric field strength, thus ensuring compliance with the precautionary principle. Decisions on pending building applications can therefore be "legally justified" according to Paul Steffen.

In the meantime, however, around 1,000 building applications remain on ice - in fact, a 5G moratorium. "We have achieved that 97 percent of the antennas transmit without 5G," writes "Protection against radiation" in a media release. Swisscom sees this diametrically differently. "Swisscom offers 5G coverage to over 90% of the Swiss population," it wrote on its website on February 6 . Who is right? Both. But to do this, Swisscom had to dig deep into the bag of tricks. With a software change, it converted the 2100 MHz band of the existing 3G antennas to slow "5G wide" and thereby significantly reduced the 3G performance ( details). The 5G emblem appears on the mobile device and the user should be satisfied. "Fake 5G" says Hans.-U. Jakob, the argumentative president of Gugaherz, the oldest electro-smog critical association in Switzerland. With this move, Swisscom was able to register additional 5G antennas on the overview map of the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) at the end of December 2000 and announce compliance with its ambitious expansion plan.

5G wide doesn't have much to do with 5G, which was announced as a revolution in mobile communications. “5G fast” or “5G +”, as it is also called by Swisscom, is only available around two percent of the antennas. But upgrading to “5G fast” with more power and higher frequencies should be politically much easier to achieve if the more harmless “5G wide” has spread. Swisscom's move is likely to cause some headaches for its opponents.

Original article in German:
https://www.zeitpunkt.ch/tausend-5g-antennen-blockiert