Health and Environmental Concerns about 5G

There is a recent history of campaigns against 5G technology. A 2019 survey of 500 people in Aotearoa found that 46% of respondents were concerned about the impacts of radiation levels from 5G on people’s health. During the Covid lockdowns, articles and commentaries spread about the potential health impacts of 5G communications. By May 2020, 17 cellphone towers had been vandalised. Anecdotally, more recently, some customers in mobile stores have expressed anger after being sent text messages about the 3G network shutdown telling them to upgrade because they felt that they were being forced to use 5G, which they have health and environmental concerns about.

Below are several expert resources for better understanding any potential risks to health or to the environment due to 5G:

1) Here is a link to a scientific report about the health impacts of 5G from the (previous) Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Dame Juliet Gerrard, who concludes:

“The currently available scientific evidence makes it extremely unlikely that there will be any adverse effects on human or environmental health. There is no evidence whatsoever that coronavirus is in any way connected to 5G.”

2) Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand also have a frequently asked questions page regarding 5G and health.

3) For more general details about 5G, here is a fairly concise 5G information pack from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Page Last Updated February 3, 2025.