RT America, a television broadcaster funded and controlled directly by the government of Russia which is part of the network of TV channels and news sites of RT (formerly Russia Today), has launched a campaign in the United States to discredit 5G, the technology that in the next years will revolutionize cellular network communication systems.
As a lengthy New York Times investigation explains, for months RT America has been broadcasting and publishing alarmist reports on 5G online, claiming – without credible evidence: we get there – that this new technology is extremely dangerous to health. The broadcaster claims that its services also provide more complete information than others on the risks posed by 5G, while according to critics the operation would have the sole purpose of creating confusion in public opinion and damaging an essential solution for the next technological developments in the United States, as in the rest of the world.
At the beginning of the year, for example, RT America broadcast a service with the title “5G: A dangerous 'experiment for mankind'”, listing the alleged risks and dangers of the new system for transmitting data over the cellular network, intended to replace the 'current 4G with much faster connections and the possibility of being used for many purposes (from the healthcare sector to that of managing networks and infrastructures).
The New York Times analyzed the activity of RT America noting that the first report on the health risks of 5G was broadcast in May of 2018. The activity intensified in 2019, with a report broadcast last April where it was supported. that by living close to 5G repeaters, children could have suffered numerous more or less serious ailments, such as nosebleeds or tumors, passing through difficulties in cognitive learning.
For its broadcasts, RT America makes use of commentators and “experts”, many of whom are already known to be staunch opponents of the development of cellular networks, convinced that they constitute a danger to health. Among these is David O. Carpenter, a doctor who has published several studies over the years arguing among other things that it is dangerous to live near power lines, even if consistent scientific evidence has never been found to support it. Interviewed by RT America, Carpenter used very pessimistic tones, saying that the development of 5G “is very worrying” and that “no one will be able to escape the radiation”.
A constant in the reports and specials of RT America dedicated to 5G is the use of the word “radiation” to speak of the waves emitted by cellular network repeaters. The term seems to be used deliberately to create a parallel with truly dangerous radiation, such as X-rays and ultraviolet rays, which in high doses can actually affect how our DNA works leading to tumors. Radio waves used for cell phones are on the opposite end of the spectrum from radiation as we usually understand it.
The frequencies of the radio waves used for 5G are higher than those previously used for cellular communications, and it is this that gives the possibility to transmit information more quickly. Groups opposed to 5G – usually the same ones who already opposed building repeaters for previous satellite technologies – say the higher frequencies make new networks and cell phones that use them even more dangerous. These theses, extensively taken up by RT America in his reports, are not scientifically proven. The scientific truth is that the higher the radio frequencies, the less they are able to penetrate the human body, thus reducing the risks due to exposure.
The data and research carried out so far say that 5G will in fact pose fewer risks than the already extremely low ones of previous cellular technologies. Since this is something that concerns practically everyone, cellular technology has been the subject of studies and analyzes for decades to verify that it is safe and does not pose particular risks to our health. Thousands of scientific researches have explored the possible links between exposure to radio waves from cell phones and diseases of all kinds, including cancers, concluding that the risks are extremely low if not absent. While recommending some precautions, the World Health Organization has also defined the use of mobile phones as safe.
Despite the consensus of the scientific community, the numerous research funded by network manufacturers, cell phone manufacturers, governments and independent research centers, RT America continues to disseminate alarmist services on 5G. In January, a special entitled “How to survive the dangers of 5G” was accompanied by the words “Apocalypse 5G”. The reporter in the studio, among other things, said that doctors, scientists and environmental groups were demanding that the new technology be banned, even before its installation.
Almost all of the “experts” consulted by RT America can be traced back to groups that have been campaigning against cellular networks for years. It is unclear how many of these people are aware that the television station is funded by the Russian government, for which it constantly advertises. In addition to the television channel, RT America spreads its services and programs on the main social networks and on YouTube, where it reaches several million people.
In mid-February, RT America released another service with the title “5G is a crime under international law”; in early March another special was titled “Totally Insane: The Telecom Industry Ignores the Dangers of 5G”. A few days later another special: “Could 5G put more children at risk of cancer?”.
Contacted by the New York Times, the managers of RT America claimed to make information “by going to the bottom”: “Our US public expects concerns for Americans to be at the center of our work and to be highlighted.” US intelligence thinks differently and has long indicated RT as a whole as an organization that makes propaganda on behalf of the Russian government, spreading false news to condition public debate and the political orientations of voters.
Russia is quite lagging behind in the development of next-generation cellular networks, especially outside the big cities. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, last February announced an ambitious plan to bring 5G to the country, with enthusiastic and not at all alarmist tones, when compared to those used by RT America. The impression is that the Russian government is trying to discredit 5G in the United States in order to slow its introduction, with consequent economic damage to the country.
US mobile operators are working to install the first 5G networks, albeit with some delay compared to Europe due to the limitations imposed by the US government on the use of some equipment, such as the cheaper ones provided by the accused Chinese company Huawei ( so far without evidence) to have links with the Chinese government and to engage in espionage. RT America's campaign could bring a few more difficulties to operators, although it seems unlikely that it will have significant practical consequences. RT America's initiative against 5G is still relevant and demonstrates how much the Russian government is committed, on several fronts (from electoral to economic ones), to exploit the Internet and traditional telecommunications systems for its own propaganda.
