5G phones and your health: What you need to know

The rollout of 5G using super high-frequency radio airwaves has ignited old fears about cellphone radiation risks.

Activists fear radiation from 5G wireless service could be dangerous to public health. And they want more research done before carriers deploy the technology. 

5G promises lightning-fast speeds and the ability to power new technologies like self-driving cars and advanced augmented and virtual reality experiences. But an undercurrent to all of the things we can do with 5G is concern about what 5G can do to us.

Mobile carriers throughout the world are racing to deploy this fifth generation of cellular technology. President Donald Trump has made it clear that the US must not fall behind other nations, like China, in the effort to develop and roll out the technology.

But not everyone believes the US should be pushing full steam ahead.

There are concerns that the very high-frequency spectrum known as millimeter wavelengths used in early deployments to make 5G a reality could pose adverse health effects for the public. 4:36

In April, the Belgian government halted a 5G test in Brussels over concerns that radiation from the base stations could be harmful. Members of Parliament in the Netherlands are also calling on the government to take a closer look at 5G. Switzerland is taking steps to monitor 5G's impact on people.

In the US, New Hampshire is considering establishing a commission to study the health effects of 5G networks. Several leaders in Congress have written to the Federal Communications Commission expressing concern about potential health risks. And in Mill Valley, California, the city council blocked the deployment of new 5G wireless cells.

These kinds of worries aren't new. Consumers for years have been anxious about possible health effects of radiation in  everything from microwaves to cellphones, prodded by claims that radio airwaves cause brain cancer, reduced fertility, headaches in children and other illnesses.

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