Switzerland: The Federal Council wants to develop 5G, but cautiously

See post for the unofficial translation of the press release from the Swiss Federal Council.

The Federal Council wants to develop 5G, but cautiously 

by ATS, letemps.ch, 22 April 2020 - translation

As the installation of new 5G antennas continues, the government instructs DETEC to determine the actual radiation exposure of the population. A relaxation of the limit values is not envisaged for the time being.

The installation of an antenna at Lenzerheide
in 2019. © REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

The Federal Council wants to develop the 5G network in Switzerland, but cautiously in view of the reticence expressed by the population, it announced on Wednesday. For the time being, there is no question of relaxing the limit values for protecting people from non-ionizing radiation.

The Federal Department of Communications (DETEC) will first have to clarify the situation with regard to antennas. The government has instructed it to draw up an "implementation aid" and to first carry out test measurements in order to determine in a transparent manner the actual exposure of the population due to adaptive antennas.

These antennas, which transmit targeted signals to the user, are highly controversial. Opponents of 5G claim that this technology will be imposed on the entire Swiss population without democratic debate.

They are calling for a national moratorium until the long-term health and environmental consequences of this technology are clearly established. Several cantons, including Vaud and Geneva, have introduced moratoria on the installation of new antennas.

Accompanying measures

The Federal Council also wants to implement the six accompanying measures proposed by the working group on mobile telephony and radiation in November 2019. Priority should be given to the further development of radiation exposure monitoring and the establishment of an environmental medicine advisory service on non-ionizing radiation.

In addition, implementation should be simplified and harmonized, the information provided to the population should be improved and research into the health effects of mobile telephony and radiation should be intensified.

DETEC will also explore the possibilities for a sustainable mobile phone network. Following a postulate by the Council of States, it will submit a report to the Federal Council by the end of 2021 outlining the possibilities for sustainable development of mobile telephony networks. The document should also provide a better basis for decisions on future telecommunications technologies.

Fast start

5G got off to a flying start in Switzerland, one of the first countries in the world to launch this new high-speed mobile phone standard. By February 2019, the three major Swiss operators had spent 379 million Swiss francs on operating licences.

The two industry leaders, Swisscom and Sunrise, then went into action. At the beginning of April, the Zurich operator had already equipped 150 municipalities. The blue giant followed two weeks later, claiming that it would be rolled out in 54 municipalities and promising to cover up to 90% of the population by the end of the year.

At the same time, however, resistance to this new technology has grown, particularly in the French-speaking part of the country. In addition to Vaud and Geneva, the canton of Jura has also decreed a moratorium on the construction of antennas, citing health risks.

Fribourg and Neuchâtel have decided to make the installation of 5G antennas subject to the granting of a building permit. Finally, a popular initiative entitled "Responsibility for mobile telephony", aimed at 5G, was launched last autumn.

Experts disagree

As for the experts, who issued a long-awaited report in November, they were unable to agree on the central question of whether the limit values of the radiation emitted by telephone antennas should be adjusted.

The working group - comprising environmental and telecommunications specialists from the federal government, representatives of operators, scientists and doctors - limited itself to compiling existing data and found that it was not possible to consistently prove health risks above a certain level of radiation.

Operators do not remain inactive and continue to install new antennas or convert 4G antennas where possible. Sunrise claims to have the largest network in Switzerland, with more than 300 municipalities and 80% of the population covered. Swisscom, for its part, announced in December that it had 90% coverage.

The canton of Ticino, in turn, took to the barricades in January, castigating the blue giant for damaging its credibility by unilaterally deciding to convert "almost a hundred" 3G installations to 5G.

Original article:
https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/conseil-federal-veut-developper-5g-prudemment