5G and Health Concerns: What Ofcom and the WHO Say

What Kind of Radiation Does 5G Use?

All mobile networks—from 2G through to 5G—transmit data using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF). These are a form of non-ionising radiation, meaning the photon energy involved is far too low to ionise atoms, break chemical bonds, or cause the kind of direct DNA damage associated with ionising radiation such as X-rays, gamma rays, or ultraviolet light. The distinction between ionising and non-ionising radiation is fundamental in radiobiology: ionising radiation is capable of causing established harm at elevated doses; non-ionising RF radiation operates by a different mechanism entirely, the primary biological effect at high intensities being tissue heating.

5G deployments in the UK use frequencies spanning from 700 MHz (low-band) through 3.4–3.8 GHz (mid-band C-band) to 26 GHz (millimetre-wave). All of these frequencies fall within the non-ionising portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The move to higher frequencies for 5G does not change this fundamental classification. At 26 GHz, the energy per photon is still orders of magnitude below the threshold for ionisation; the primary interaction with biological tissue at this frequency range is superficial skin warming, not penetrating radiation exposure.

The ICNIRP Limits: How They Are Set and What They Cover

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is the international body responsible for setting science-based exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields, including radiofrequency fields used by mobile networks. ICNIRP’s guidelines are not regulatory instruments themselves, but they form the basis for regulations adopted by the UK Government, the European Union, and many other jurisdictions. In 2020, ICNIRP published updated guidelines specifically reviewed in the context of 5G, including higher frequencies up to 300 GHz.

The ICNIRP limits are expressed as specific absorption rate (SAR) for frequencies up to 6 GHz (measuring energy absorbed per unit mass of tissue) and as power density for higher frequencies. The limits are set at levels substantially below those at which any adverse effect has been demonstrated in robust scientific studies, with the guidelines incorporating a significant safety margin. For the general public, the limits are more conservative than those applied to occupational exposure, on the basis that the general population includes vulnerable groups and that exposure is continuous and uncontrolled. UK mobile network operators are required by Ofcom licence conditions and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (and associated regulations) to comply with ICNIRP guidelines.

The WHO’s Position: What the Group 2B Classification Actually Means

The WHO’s cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B) in 2011, based primarily on limited evidence from studies examining mobile phone use and brain tumours. This classification has been cited in some public discussions as evidence that mobile networks are known to cause cancer, but this interpretation misreads the IARC classification system. Group 2B indicates that there is limited evidence in humans or animals that is not strong enough to establish causality, and is applied on a precautionary basis when some association has been observed but confounding factors cannot be ruled out.

Group 2B contains a wide range of substances including coffee, aloe vera extract, and talc. It is distinguished from Group 1 (known carcinogen, e.g. tobacco smoke, alcohol) and Group 2A (probable carcinogen). IARC has initiated a re-evaluation of RF EMF as part of its ongoing review programme; the WHO is also in the process of completing a formal health risk assessment of RF EMF, with the results expected to reflect the substantial body of research that has accumulated since 2011. Provisional outputs from this review have not altered the conclusion that no causal link to adverse health effects has been established at exposure levels within ICNIRP guidelines.

UK Monitoring: Ofcom’s Role and Measured Levels

Ofcom has a statutory duty under the Communications Act 2003 to monitor and enforce compliance with its licence conditions, which include the requirement for operators to comply with ICNIRP guidelines for public RF EMF exposure. Ofcom publishes a programme of field measurements at sites across the UK, including both existing mobile base stations and newly deployed 5G infrastructure. These measurements are conducted according to standardised methodology and assess the actual RF power levels present in publicly accessible areas around masts.

Published Ofcom measurement data has consistently found that public exposure levels near mobile base stations are a small fraction of the ICNIRP reference levels—in many cases below one percent of the applicable limit. This reflects the fact that mobile masts transmit at relatively low power levels compared with other RF sources such as radio and television broadcast transmitters, and that the inverse-square law means power density falls rapidly with distance from the antenna. Individuals living or working near a 5G mast are not subject to substantially different or higher RF exposure than those in areas served by 4G infrastructure on comparable frequency bands.

The UK Health Security Agency and Public Health England’s Position

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which absorbed the former Public Health England (PHE), is responsible for providing authoritative public health guidance on RF EMF in the UK. UKHSA’s position, consistent with its predecessor PHE’s guidance, is that the current evidence does not demonstrate that exposures from 5G mobile networks within ICNIRP guidelines have adverse health effects. UKHSA notes that it keeps the scientific literature under review and that monitoring of EMF exposure from the evolving mobile network infrastructure continues.

UKHSA has also addressed specific concerns raised about 5G, including the claim that 5G frequencies are qualitatively different from previous mobile generations in their health implications. The agency’s position is that while 5G does use some new frequency bands, notably higher mmWave frequencies, the ICNIRP guidelines were updated in 2020 specifically to incorporate the latest research on these higher frequencies and to set exposure limits that apply to them. The fundamental conclusion—that RF EMF at levels within ICNIRP guidelines does not present a demonstrated health risk—applies to 5G frequencies as it does to earlier mobile network technologies.

What This Means in Practice

Judith, a resident in Bristol, notices that a new mobile mast has been installed on a pole near her street and that it is carrying 5G equipment. She contacts her local council with concerns about RF exposure. The council advises that planning permission for masts below a certain height does not require prior approval under permitted development rules (subject to notification requirements under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015), but that operators must demonstrate compliance with ICNIRP guidelines as a condition of their radio licences. Judith contacts Ofcom, which explains that its monitoring programme includes measurements at sites near residential areas and that published data from comparable sites has found public exposure to be well within ICNIRP limits. She reviews Ofcom’s published EMF measurement data online and finds that all nearby sites have measured below five percent of the applicable ICNIRP reference level. Her concern about an unknown health risk is addressed by the existence of the monitoring programme and the published measurement data, even if it does not change her personal view of the mast’s visual impact.

How We Verified This

This article draws on ICNIRP’s 2020 updated guidelines on limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz); WHO’s IARC Monograph Volume 102 on RF EMF (2013) for the Group 2B classification; Ofcom’s published EMF measurement reports and the associated methodology documentation; UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance on electromagnetic fields and health; and GOV.UK planning guidance on telecommunications equipment and permitted development rights. The WHO’s ongoing RF EMF health risk assessment outputs were also reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 5G safe?

The scientific and regulatory consensus, as expressed by the WHO, ICNIRP, and the UK Health Security Agency, is that exposure to 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic fields within ICNIRP guidelines does not present a demonstrated health risk. UK operators are required by Ofcom licence conditions to comply with ICNIRP exposure limits. Ofcom’s field measurements of UK 5G infrastructure consistently record public exposure levels that are a small fraction of the applicable ICNIRP reference levels.

What does the WHO say about 5G?

The WHO has not established that RF EMF from 5G networks, at exposure levels within ICNIRP guidelines, causes harm to human health. The WHO’s IARC arm classified RF EMF broadly as “possibly carcinogenic” (Group 2B) in 2011—a precautionary designation that also applies to coffee and many common substances—based on limited evidence from earlier mobile generations. The WHO is conducting a formal health risk assessment of RF EMF, and interim positions have not identified a causal link to harm at guideline levels.

What are the ICNIRP limits?

ICNIRP sets exposure limits expressed as specific absorption rate (SAR) for frequencies up to 6 GHz and as power density for higher frequencies. The 2020 updated guidelines cover frequencies up to 300 GHz, encompassing all 5G bands. Public exposure limits incorporate a substantial safety margin below the levels at which any adverse biological effect has been observed in robust research. UK operators must comply with these limits as a condition of their Ofcom spectrum licences.

Who monitors 5G health impacts in the UK?

Ofcom monitors RF EMF exposure levels from mobile network infrastructure across the UK and publishes field measurement results. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides public health guidance and keeps the scientific literature under review. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) oversees implanted medical device compatibility, and UKHSA coordinates UK input into international reviews including those of the WHO and ICNIRP. No single body has found evidence of health impacts at guideline-compliant exposure levels.

Does 5G affect the immune system?

No established evidence from robust scientific review supports a claim that exposure to 5G radiofrequency fields within ICNIRP guidelines affects immune system function. Multiple national health agencies, including the UK Health Security Agency and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) of the EU, have reviewed available literature on RF EMF and immune function without finding a demonstrated causal effect at exposure levels consistent with current guidelines.

Sources

• ICNIRP – Guidelines on Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (2020)
• WHO – 5G mobile networks and health (Q&A)
• Ofcom – Electromagnetic fields (EMF) monitoring programme
• UK Health Security Agency – Electromagnetic fields guidance
• GOV.UK – Mobile phone base stations: radio waves and health