With wireless radiation controversies being dragged into the covid conversation, two events around the safety of Fifth Generation (5G) telecommunication have garnered heightened attention - a report by a state for better safety and a courtroom deliberation to make the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) acknowledge safety trade-offs with the Internet of Things (IoT).

The state, New Hampshire, commissioned a study whose final report questioned 5G safety assurances “because of the thousands of peer-reviewed studies documenting deleterious health effects associated with cellphone radiation exposure.”

The NH Commission supports 15 recommendations, including an independent study of 5G health effects; reduced cell phone and wireless device exposure; replacing Wi-Fi with wired networks in schools; setting back infrastructure from schools and homes; establishing wireless radiation-free zones; and calling on the FCC to do an environmental assessment on the impact of 5G and wireless infrastructure expansion.

Ms. Scarato discusses how other states can demand safety as much as telecom innovation - and how to restore science accuracy with the FCC.