5G conspiracy theories threaten the U.S. recovery

As though Americans don’t have enough to worry about right now, some people have recently been stoking fears about the supposedly harmful health effects of 5G — the new generation of wireless broadband networks. For decades, the Federal Communications Commission has ensured that equipment that transmits information over radio waves — from station antennas to cell towers to mobile phones to laptops — is safe for consumer use. The FCC most recently reviewed and reaffirmed those standards, which are among the most stringent in the world, in an order issued late in 2019. 

Local governments are also second-guessing federal safety standards. Bad local decisions could be catastrophic for our country as we continue to face historic challenges relating to the coronavirus pandemic. High-speed, high-capacity wireless networks will be indispensable tools for our social and economic recovery. If we delay 5G deployment based on irrational fears and unproven theories, it will only hurt the American people as we plot our path forward.

[Thomas M. Johnson Jr. is general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission]