Should U.S. Schools Adopt Precautionary 5G Policies?

With the 5G rollout in full swing, parents across the country are wondering: What happens when a 5G tower is constructed right next to my child’s school?

It raises further questions: what are the risks? And should schools and communities consider precautionary 5G policies? Let’s take a look at steps some schools have already taken and why communities should be involved in the decision-making process.

5G technology operates using high-frequency, non ionizing radio waves. It’s similar to those emitted by existing wireless networks, with a wider range of frequencies. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets the EMF emissions limit for 5G technology, largely based on guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Local and state governments can play a role as well, but their authority to set 5G infrastructure limits is constrained by the FCC regulations.

While 5G technology is within safety limits, questions have arisen about how accurate those guidelines really are. After all, the last time the FCC updated these guidelines was in 1996, long before 5G technology was around. The guidelines also only measure thermal effects, which refers to how much tissue is heated when using wireless devices. They don’t take into account recent research on potential long-term health effects from EMF exposure.

While Americans wait for the FCC to reevaluate their safety guidelines, individual schools have taken precautionary steps to limit their students’ proximity to 5G infrastructure during the school day.

One example of 5G construction raising questions comes from Detroit, where parents voiced their concern about dozens of cell towers installed on school grounds. Parents were upset, especially as many did not know that the Detroit public school district had 29 cell towers placed on school grounds with multi-year lease agreements signed with several different telecommunications companies. School officials insisted there was no concrete evidence that cell towers harm children, but with 5G technology still so new and research lacking, parents want precautionary measures surrounding the places their children spend many of their waking hours during the week.

Some school districts have already taken steps to ban cell towers on school property. In California, the Los Angeles Board of Education developed a “cautionary level” for radiofrequency (RF) radiation 10,000 times lower than the limits set by the FCC, and they passed three resolutions prohibiting cell towers on or near school property.

Also in California, the Palo Alto Unified School District passed a resolution prohibiting cell antennas on school grounds and opposing cell antennas nearby, and trustees in Temecula Valley Unified School District passed a ban on new cell towers on school property. In Oregon, West Linn-Wilsonville School Board prohibits cell towers on school property. Other community schools such as Montgomery County in Maryland and Loudon County, Virginia, have similarly banned new cell tower leases and lease renewals on school grounds. 

It’s well established that 5G brings ultra-fast connectivity, undoubtedly enabling many educational opportunities for schools. Virtual reality training programs, virtual field trips, seamless connections for learning devices – it all contributes to student engagement.

That’s why, when it comes to 5G and schools, the goal is precaution, not fear. It’s about embracing technology while also embracing tools and practices that help us live well alongside it.

While many studies of 5G and wireless radiation tell us exposure levels fall below existing safety limits, it’s important to acknowledge that this technology is still relatively new. The research has focused on short-term biological effects, leaving significant questions about long-term, cumulative exposure unanswered. Especially when it comes to children, whose developing brains and bodies paired with a longer lifetime exposure than most adults make them especially vulnerable.

Because the FCC has not updated its exposure standards since 1996, these outdated guidelines fail to reflect the realities of today’s environment. Kids spend years learning and playing in close range of wireless towers, and we simply don’t know the long-term implications of this. Proving exposures are “below limits” does not necessarily resolve the uncertainty. It just confirms compliance with decades-old standards. For schools that are entrusted with keeping children safe, all of the unknown points to the need for a “better safe than sorry” approach.

It all begins with transparency. When it comes to their children, parents want to know that their opinions are valued and their voices are heard. Keeping parents and staff informed prior to any new tower agreements and hosting public forums to address community concerns goes a long way to building trust.

Schools can take steps to ban new towers on school property. They can also adopt exposure limits lower than federal standards, such as Los Angeles Unified School District in California. Using simple EMF readers, schools can conduct independent RF measurements at heavily-frequented locations such as playgrounds and classrooms. 

With or without 5G connectivity, schools are EMF hotspots. Wi-Fi, cell signals, and all of the wireless devices used in modern classrooms make for a heavy electromagnetic environment. To help clean up the signals, some schools have turned to Aires’ patented technology, such as Apogee Schools – the first Aires Certified learning campuses.

Aires devices don’t block EMFs, so your technology still works as it’s supposed to. Instead, they restructure the electromagnetic fields in your environment, reshaping them into a more biologically-friendly form. It’s support for your body amidst all of the signals that keep us connected.

The promise of 5G is compelling, with its faster speeds, immersive lessons, and strong connectivity. But these benefits are accompanied by potential risks, ones we won’t fully understand for quite some time. That’s why the goal is precaution. It’s all about managing the 5G rollout with wisdom, transparency, community engagement, and a willingness to adapt as science progresses.

As technology continues to evolve, the challenge is to strike a balance between embracing this innovation while also adopting practices and wellness tools that prioritize student wellness every step of the way.