A 17-METRE high 5G mast could be erected in Wrexham. 

A planning application for the mast has recently been submitted by CK Hutchison Networks Ltd to Wrexham County Borough Council. 

The proposal would see a 17-metre high 5G mast erected in the Stockwell Grove area of Hightown. 

The Leader: What the mast would look like. What the mast would look like. (Image: Planning documents)

5G, short for ‘fifth-generation mobile networks', provides faster speeds than are achievable with today’s 4G networks. 5G is expected to provide speeds between 1GBps and 10GBps. This would mean a full HD movie could be downloaded in 10 seconds as opposed to 10 minutes.

Asked whether 5G is safe, Mobile UK, the trade association for the UK’s mobile network operators, states that exposure guidelines govern mobile signals in the UK. The consensus of reviews by independent public health authorities, including Public Health England, expert groups and the World Health Organization (WHO) is that these guidelines provide protection for all people (including children) against all established health hazards.

READ MORE: Flintshire Council decides on plans for two 5G masts

Mobile UK said the exposure guidelines in the UK have been developed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Do current guidelines cover 5G?

Yes, current UK and international guidelines cover all frequencies used for mobile telephony, including those allocated to 5G. It remains the opinion of ICNIRP, and other bodies such as the WHO, that there is no convincing evidence of adverse health effects at exposure below the guideline levels.

Ofcom recently (February 2020) extended its programme measuring EMF emissions from equipment used to transmit mobile signals and other wireless services to cover the frequencies being used for 5G. It measured 16 5G sites in towns and cities across the UK, focusing on areas where mobile use is likely to be highest. At every site, emissions were a small fraction of the levels included in international guidelines, as set by ICNIRP. And the maximum measured at any site was 1.5 per cent of those levels. 

The position of the WHO regarding health effects from mobile phones is that: “A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.”