The United States Government Accountability Office quietly released a new report “5G Wireless: Capabilities and Challenges for an Evolving Network” on November 24, 2020. 

GAO identified key challenges could hinder 5G technology;  Spectrum availability and efficiency, cybersecurity, privacy and concern over possible health effects. Although the GAO Report does note the lack of research on the long term health effects of 5G and cites the Environmental Health Trust et al. versus FCC legal appeal (footnote 94 on page 41)  the report mischaracterizes  the body of scientific evidence and ignores the scientific appeals of hundreds of experts in the field calling to halt the rollout. 

Regarding the lack of human health research on 5G the GAQ Report states:

“While research on the biological effects of RF energy has been underway for decades, research on the long-term health effects of pre-5G technology is ongoing and research on the possibility of long-term health effects of 5G technology is largely unknown because the technology is still new and has not been widely deployed.” 

The GAO Report quotes an NCI scientist on the lack of adequate human health testing:

“However, no studies have been carried out on the long-term health effects of high-band 5G frequencies in observational studies, such as those in settings experienced by the general public, because the technology has not been deployed for long enough or widely enough to conduct these studies. According to an NCI scientist, even after high-band 5G technology has been put into use in the coming years, the long-term health effects on people, if any, may not be known for many years later because some health outcomes could take decades to develop.”

“In 2008, a committee convened by the National Research Council (part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) reported that further research was needed to characterize exposure to RF energy in juveniles, young children, and pregnant women and fetuses in observational studies.97 An NCI scientist we interviewed reiterated these unknown long-term health effects for pre-5G technology and with respect to 5G. Further research was also needed for non-cancer outcomes, such as developmental and behavioral outcomes, according to the committee proceedings and the NCI scientist. Observational studies may be used to study health outcomes that take years and decades to  develop, such as developmental, behavioral, and cancer outcomes. ” page 42

The GAO Report put forward industry friendly statements downplaying the issue of health effects, lacking scientific documentation and fully ignoring the published science finding adverse effects from non thermal levels. 

“However, higher frequencies have less penetration into the human body and therefore are thought to be less of a concern than lower frequencies.” page 41

“The RF spectrum used in cellular communications has not been definitively linked to cancer or other health outcomes, according to FCC and FDA. The lower frequencies of the radio frequency spectrum that are used for wireless communication, including 5G communication, are considered “nonionizing radiation” because these frequencies lack sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms and molecules. In contrast, X-rays are considered “ionizing” radiation, which can have significant human health effects and are known to increase the risk of cancer. The radio frequencies used by cellular communications systems can lead to tissue heating, but is not thought to emit enough RF energy to cause harmful heating.” page 41 footnote 93

Lack of a Full Evaluation by Federal Agencies 

The GAO Report did clarify that despite what seems to be safety assurances by the FDA and other organizations the reality is that “each of these organizations has only reviewed a subset of the relevant research and, of these organizations, only IEEE updates its formal assessments regularly.”

• On the FDA Literature Review “The assessment focused on cancer-related animal and human studies of frequencies below 6 GHz. The assessment did not include non-cancer outcomes or frequencies above 6 GHz.” page 44
• On the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) “NCRP reviewed two larger observational studies in its 1986 review; however, it has not published an update since [1986].

The GAO created an “explainer video” featuring Tom Wheeler, former Wireless industry head lobbyist and FCC Chairman. The issue of health effects are NOT  mentioned in the video and EHT executive director Theodora Scarato calls it “propaganda  by  our industry captured government”. See video here and transcript here. 

As the GAO  report was released just before the Thanksgiving holiday on November 24, 2020, it’’s release generated no media attention however this report will be used by government officials for years. 

Dr. Joel Moskowitz  

Dr. Joel Moskowitz of the University of California Berkeley posted an analysis of the GAO Report:

“How can these officials ignore the results of the government’s $30 million study which proved that long-term exposure to RFR caused cancer or the Ramazzini Institute study which reproduced these results using much lower intensity RFR? How can they ignore the results of epidemiologic studies that find increased tumor risk among heavier cell phone users?”

“For more than two decades, FDA officials have ignored the lack of consensus in the scientific community regarding the safety of RFR. The majority of scientists who study RFR effects now believe that current RFR national and international safety standards are inadequate to protect our health. More than 240 scientists from 44 countries who have published over 2,000 papers in professional journals on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and biology or health have signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal which calls for stronger safety standards and health warnings.”

“The GAO report also failed to mention the 5G Appeal signed by more than 400 scientists and doctors who have demanded a moratorium on the deployment of 5G.” 

Click to read analysis by Dr. Joel Moskowitz of the University of California Berkeley