Commentary
The United States and China are at war. This war, however, is a little different from previous wars. It’s a tech war: drones, artificial intelligence, cyber operations, and the list goes on.
A major factor driving the war is 5G; this has been the case for at least four years. As I write this, both countries are actively embracing the new technology, which, as this piece demonstrates, will dramatically change the world of tomorrow—and not necessarily for the better.
For the uninitiated, 5G is the latest iteration of cellular technology, designed to increase the speed, capacity, and responsiveness of wireless networks. According to analysts at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), over the next decade, 5G could create as many as 1 million new jobs and contribute roughly $500 million to the U.S. gross domestic product. Last year, the global 5G market reached $2.25 billion; five years from now, it’s expected to be worth $14.57 billion.
Another group of analysts at Kearney, a global consultant managing firm, believes that 5G will play a crucial role in the future of the United States. They insist that embracing the technology will help the country realize three particular national objectives. First, 5G will transition the U.S. economy into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which will, according to the good people in Davos, Switzerland, transform the way we live and work. Second, the Kearney analysts predict that 5G will likely “promote a stronger, more innovative, and more competitive business landscape.” This embrace of 5G could help create more “sustainable and high-paying jobs.” Finally, by providing increased access to the online world, the technology will greatly benefit local communities and those residing in underserved areas. Hooray, some will say, let the 5G party commence. Not so fast.
There are growing concerns in the United States and beyond that 5G networks could interfere with airplanes’ altimeters. These instruments are critical in measuring height during takeoff and landing operations.
Which begs the question: Why are the people who question the safety of fifth-generation networks so often met with ridicule and scorn, even when we have no reason to believe that 5G is safe?
One needn’t be a crazed conspiracy theorist to question the safety of this brand-new, largely untested technology.
5G networks produce radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which are used to transmit information. In 2018, more than 240 highly respected scientists signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal, warning that a number of “recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines.”
Such effects “include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans.” EMFs aren’t just damaging to the human race; they’re also harmful to “both plant and animal life,” they noted.
Moreover, as the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer previously warned, exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) is “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” RFR and 5G are inextricably linked. The National Toxicology Program, an interagency program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found a clear link between exposure to RFR and increased cancer risk.
Besides the health risks associated with the technology, 5G networks are extremely hackable. As IEEE Spectrum first reported, a hacker at a conference held in the Netherlands in July 2022 told those in attendance that he and his team had managed to breach 5G networks. The hackers had full control of the network, as well as access to sensitive data.
Now, as the United States invests more money in this new technology, one wonders what a 5G cyberattack would look like.
In short, pretty bad. You see, 5G is set to power the Internet of Things (IoT), including automated vehicles and smart cities. The IoT describes physical objects with sensors and software capable of “speaking with each other” (transferring data). This allows smart devices—including phones, cars, TVs, heart rate monitors, and even garage doors—to communicate.
Unfortunately, the IoT, like 5G, comes with a host of security risks, making these “talking” devices easy prey for millions of hackers worldwide. In 2017, CNN published a disturbing piece discussing St. Jude Medical’s implantable cardiac devices. According to the report, these devices possessed “vulnerabilities that could allow a hacker to access a device.” Once in, hackers “could deplete the battery or administer incorrect pacing or shocks.”
5G will also lay the foundation for autonomous driving. That’s bad news for us, the innocent civilians. But it’s great news for hackers. Automated vehicles can also be hacked—relatively easily, I might add. The same goes for so-called smart cities, which will also be powered by 5G. Experts believe that smart city technologies will eventually touch every corner of the United States.
It’s important to remember that of all the countries in the world, China, the No. 1 enemy of the United States, is home to the largest number of hackers. As tensions between the United States and China continue to escalate, security experts expect Chinese hackers to target the United States more regularly and with even greater ferocity. The hackers won’t just target branches of government; they’ll likely target towns and cities across the country. We already live in a hacker’s paradise. As we rely more on 5G, expect the bad actors to prosper and security breaches to become even more severe.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
