5G and Beyond: A Dystopian Nightmare
Since taking office, the Trump administration has pursued an aggressive policy to deregulate the telecommunications industry in order to accelerate 5G technological upgrades and become the global 6G leader.
His policies prioritize spectrum network availability or the increasing range of radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic waves (EMFs) that mobile, computer and electronic equipment can access to transmit wireless data, and faster cell-tower construction. This also includes the rapid build out of the infrastructure necessary to support the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. During Trump’s first term, Congress was forced into a dilemma to consider over 60 bills that would fast-track deployment of wireless infrastructure thereby bypassing crucial safety, environmental, and public health safeguards and federal oversight. Championed under the guise of “closing the digital divide,” the bills raised serious concerns about the government’s accountability and having become captured by industry lobbying. These bills demonstrated a clear prioritization of private industry’s interests and profits over public and environmental health.
Trump has made his goals very clear: economic competitiveness against China and advancing the telecomm and AI industries’ wealth and social leverage over the American public.
Critics, notably environmental and human advocates, have been quick to point out that the combination of denser 5G network deployments and the nation’s weak regulations over radiofrequency (RF) exposure limits will further increase the risks to public health and the environment compared with stricter European standards.
The FCC’s current RF exposure limits were established in the mid-1990s and were based on research from the 1980s. Therefore the guidelines are grossly outdated and focused almost exclusively on short-term thermal effects. They have failed to incorporate the large volume of research published since then on non-thermal biological effects. In 2021, a Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC failed to provide a reasonable explanation for its decision not to update the limits in light of evidence on non-thermal effects, long-term exposure and RF’s impact on children and the environment. Although the agency was ordered to address these shortcomings, to date it has refused to do so.
The most consequential program is Trump’s December 2025 Presidential Memorandum “Winning the 6G Race” (NSPM-8).
The memorandum declares that American leadership in 6G technology is a national priority. It orders the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to clear the 7.125 to 7.4 GHz high frequency band for full use under commercial licensure. It also mandates reallocation of the 2.69–2.9 GHz and 4.4–4.94 GHz mid-range bands, which will enable denser networks demanding more base stations and large and small cell towers placing enormous stress on the country’s already strained resources and energy grid.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which were signed in July 2025, will result in a huge new pipeline for wireless carriers to expand 5G capacity and deploy early 6G services to many thousands of new and upgraded cell and tower sites.
The “Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments” will preempt and/or severely limit state and local authorities to have any say or oversight in current and future cell-tower and small-cell sites. Non-federal governments and residents will lose their voice to have any influence over the placement of 5G towers near homes, schools, businesses and residential neighborhoods.
The current FCC led by Chairman Brendan Carr is pushing for major deregulatory initiatives. Carr is fully behind the telecomm and AI industries. He helped develop the dystopian Project 2025 and is a harsh supporter of repealing internet neutrality. He has also been instrumental in the irresponsible streamlining of 5G environmental reviews to cut corners. In FCC’s September 30, 2026 Report and Order on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules, Carr dramatically narrowed environmental review requirements. NEPA reviews now only apply to structures requiring Antenna Structure Registration, which generally towers over 200 feet in height or near airports. Moreover, the vast majority of private wireless structures, which are estimated at roughly 15,000 projects annually, are exempted. This is a huge boon to the wireless industry at the expense of public health with projections expecting multi-billion-dollar savings and faster construction.
These wireless measures were further reinforced by Trump’s Executive Order 14318, “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.” Again this order streamlines environmental reviews and includes federal and Superfund public lands allocated for large AI data centers. These data centers generate enormous wireless RF bandwidth requiring a greater density of 5G/6G cell sites and more spectrum.
As of 2026, more than 97–99% of the American population has access to 5G networks with roughly 341 million 5G connections against a population of about 344 million. T-Mobile’s Extended Range 5G covers approximately 325–334 million people across 1.9–2.3 million square miles. AT&T’s 5G network reaches an estimated 88–90 percent of the population or around 300 million people.
Although the Trump administration’s push for higher RF frequencies in the 7 GHz range will deposit energy more superficially, largely on the skin, a large increase in the density of towers and small cells are in cities, neighborhoods and regions are necessary for adequate wireless 5G coverage. This will dramatically increase the number of people living in closer proximity to wireless transmitters. Independent analysis warns that the combination of the FCC’s outdated thermal-only limits and weaker environmental regulations is going to create unhealthy conditions due to cumulative, chronic exposure rises. This is particularly threatening to children, pregnant women and people with existing EMF sensitivities and autoimmune disorders. Ecological studies add further concern. Insects, including honeybees and other crucial pollinators, absorb more energy at these higher frequencies due to body-size resonance. Research has documented EMF’s effects on insects’ ability to properly navigate and reproduce. Likewise, birds nesting near towers have been shown to be more frequently disorientated.
Many independent researchers and former government scientists, including those involved with the National Toxicology Program, have described the current administration’s actions as regulatory violations. The FCC continues to dismiss hundreds of peer-reviewed studies that have shown biological changes at levels well below the thermal threshold.
The United States’ RF exposure limits already permit much higher power densities than those adopted in most European and other countries, which also include more strict precautionary margins for non-thermal biological effects. For example, the European Union framework applies stricter maximum exposure levels as much as 10 to 100 times lower in certain metrics compared to the US.
The government’s unbridled push for wireless technologies starkly disregards scientific warnings and public health considerations. This agenda not only risks endangering human health, particularly that of vulnerable populations like children, but also directly threatens ecosystems essential to environmental balance. By prioritizing industry profits over comprehensive safety reviews and local autonomy, the government is now complicit in advancing an agenda that could have lasting detrimental effects on both people and the nation at enormous cost that is unwarranted.
The FDA also plays a critical role in assessing and managing public safety and health risks related to 5G wireless devices, including mobile phones and other electronic sources of EMF radiation. The agency is mandated to evaluate scientific evidence to determine whether RF exposure from these devices poses health risks and assists with establishing safety standards in collaboration with other agencies such as the FCC. While the FDA adamantly asserts that current RF exposure levels are within safety limits, independent scientists and health advocates repeatedly criticize the agency for failing to conduct rigorous evaluation of the ever-growing number of toxicological studies confirming EMF’s long-term and cumulative health effects.
In addition, the FDA has been calculatedly involved in misinformation campaigns regarding wireless safety. In 2022, the Environmental Health Trust, founded by Dr. Devra Davis who is a world expert in environmental and electromagnetic field toxicology, submitted a report accusing the FDA’s willful dismissal of smart phones’ carcinogenic risks based upon an extremely flawed FDA analysis of a decade’s worth of published studies about cell phone safety and children. Experts who signed a retraction of the FDA study noted it was rife with scientific inaccuracies and even failed to meet the basic standards of credible scientific analysis.
In another case of intentional malfeasance, the FDA disregarded the findings of the National Toxicology Program’s landmark $30 million study commissioned by the FDA itself. This study, which underwent rigorous peer review, provided “clear evidence” of carcinogenic activity linked to RF radiation. Dr. Ronald Melnick, who led the study’s design, called the FDA’s decision “shocking” and a “dangerous precedent” for public health as it disregards compelling scientific evidence. Dr. Anthony Miller, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, asserted that “radiofrequency is an established carcinogen.” He specifically highlighted the elevated risks of glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer, for individuals who regularly hold cell phones close to their heads. Based on his comprehensive research, Miller has called for RF radiation to be reclassified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest risk category.
Dr. Davis lambasted the FDA’s report for ignoring critical studies supported by the American Cancer Society that link EMF exposure to thyroid cancer. She pointed out that the report also ignored the unique vulnerabilities of children, pregnant women, and young adults, despite repeated calls from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation for stricter safety standards. Prof. Tom Butler of University College Cork in Ireland labeled the report “an astonishing failure,” stating, “The FDA seems unaware of, or is simply ignoring, the overwhelming body of scientific evidence on non-thermal effects.” Similarly, Prof. Suleyman Dasdag of Istanbul Medeniyet University noted that his own research has shown RF radiation can damage brain cells and increase cancer risks even more after 5G.
The stakes are high, as the unchecked expansion of 5G technology continues to outpace scientific understanding and regulatory action. The FDA’s dismissal of evidence, coupled with the FCC’s outdated guidelines, exemplifies the dangers of industry influence over our public agencies.
For several decades a large body of non-industry-funded research has reported RF’s and EMF’s adverse effects at intensities far below the present FCC and ICNIRP limits. Thermal and non-thermal effects of EMFs remain a major concern. A 2022 study by Kharchenko et al. examining the impact of 5G RF signals revealed cellular stress, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Particularly alarming was the observation of non-thermal effects such as disruptions to cellular signaling pathways, which could lead to cancer over time.
“Damage to cellular DNA,” the researchers concluded, “poses grave risks, particularly in urban settings where exposure is continuous.”[1]
Chronic exposure to RF from cell towers has also been linked to cardiovascular irregularities and neurological disturbances. A 2024 review by Hassan and Khalil documented symptoms including fatigue, insomnia and headaches in individuals living near cell towers. Long-term oxidative stress and cardiovascular risks were noted as particularly troubling outcomes. The authors warned of “irreversible health deterioration for those unable to avoid chronic RF exposure.[2]
With their developing biological systems, infants and small children face heightened risks from 5G exposure. One 2023 study found that children’s thinner skulls allow for increased absorption of EMF radiation that may lead to the brain overheating and heightening neural stress. Cognitive impairments, particularly in learning and memory, were identified as critical risks.[3]
The potential for genotoxic effects is another crucial finding. Research by Jagetia demonstrated that EMF mobile phone radiation causes DNA strand breaks and mutagenesis, particularly in lymphocytes. This damage, coupled with chromosomal instability, significantly raises cancer risks. The reproductive system was found to be particularly vulnerable, with cumulative exposure over decades posing threats of infertility and other systemic health issues. Again, these findings highlight a glaring gap in regulatory oversight, as long-term studies remain insufficient to establish safety thresholds.[4]
Beyond physical health, 5G exposure’s cognitive effects have been well documented. A 2021 study investigated cognitive functions in individuals living near 5G base stations and towers. The scientists found consistent impairments in divided and sustained cognitive attention. Mental fatigue and reduced focus were prevalent.
“The cognitive deficits observed,” the study noted, “pose significant implications for both children in school settings and adults in demanding work environments.”[5]
Tissue overheating is a key thermal effect of EMF exposure, which has been linked to chronic health impacts. EMF exposure can suppress immune system functions and disrupt endocrine processes, particularly thyroid function. These physiological disturbances increase a person’s vulnerability to infections and chronic diseases. A 2022 study warned of the heightened risks of “immune suppression across populations exposed to high-density mobile network antennas.” The cumulative effects of overlapping wireless technologies, such as 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, were amplified these risks.[6] In particular, urban areas with dense 5G network infrastructures, were hotspots for compounded EMF adverse health effects.[7]
Collectively, these studies reinforce the urgency for more robust science-based regulations on EMF radiation exposure. The growing body of evidence demonstrates that both thermal and non-thermal effects of EMFs pose serious risks to public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and citizens with comorbidities. Continued federal inaction is racing towards long-term consequences that could have been mitigated through responsible regulatory oversight.
In addition to the above recent studies, there is the much larger body of research about EMF’s adverse effects collated over the past 20 years by international experts such as Drs. Devra Davis and Martin Pall. Below is an outline presented earlier by Dr. Martin Pall, a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Medical Sciences at Washington State University to the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Pall is recognized worldwide as an expert in EMF and 5G’s detrimental effects on biological systems and the diseases associated with wireless technologies.
- Lower Fertility: Alters the structure of the testes and ovaries, lowers sperm count and the number of egg follicles, increases spontaneous abortion and lowers the levels of three sex hormones.
- Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Effects: There has been a dramatic increase in the following conditions since the advent of mobile phones, the internet, and wireless technologies: insomnia, fatigue, depression, headaches and cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, and loss of memory. Animal studies have shown that EMFs produce major changes in brain structure, which is likely happening to everyone who has extensive daily exposure to EMFs
- Cellular DNA Damage: There are three types of DNA damage observed in EMF exposure: single and double DNA breaks and oxidized DNA bases. These can cause cancer and mutations in the sexual germ lines.
- Apoptosis: EMFs contribute to programmed cell death that in turn leads to reproductive and neurodegenerative disorders.
- Oxidative Stress: Free radical damage that has been associated with numerous health conditions including cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic inflammation, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, cellular death and aging
- Endocrine Effects: According Dr. Pall, every hormonal system in the body is adversely affected by EMF exposure.
- Excessive Intracellular Calcium: Ca2+ is critical for cellular activity
- Cancer: There are 35 separate scientific reviews of the body of peer-reviewed literature providing evidence that EMFs increase carcinogenesis, promote and progress tumor development and contribute to metastasis.
There are also other medical conditions that have been shown to be associated likely with EMF exposure:
- Cardiac Effects. EMFs interfere with the electrical control of the heart that can produce tachycardia, bradycadia, arrhythmia and abnormal heart palpitations.
- Early Onset of Alzheimer’s and Dementia: In recent years and in parallel with increased EMF exposure, signs of symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s are being observed in people age 30 and younger. Dr. Pall has called this “digital dementias.”
- ADHD and Autism: The epidemic in ADHD and autism witnessed in each younger generation may be caused by late prenatal and early post-natal EMF exposure. Each of these neurological conditions is associated with the increase of calcium over-penetrating cell linings due to EMF pulsations and disrupting synapse formations.
Everyone will be affected by 5G’s radiation. There is a growing consensus within the scientific and medical community that 5G may in time usher an epidemic of disease never before witnessed in human history. If the past and current research on EMF’s adverse effects on health and the environment during the past 50 years are any indication, we are entering a new epoch of disease and neurological disorders that humanity is completely unprepared to handle.
This is a consequence of what happens when an entire nation is trapped into carelessly trusting elected presidents and legislators whose campaigns are bankrolled by the Telecomm giants and Silicon Valley, and a media empire ruled by serial misinformants and disinformation campaigns for private corporate interests. This is vulture capitalism at its worse.
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Dr. Gary Null is host of the nation’s longest running public radio program on alternative and nutritional health and a multi-award-winning documentary film director, including his recent Last Call to Tomorrow.
Richard Gale is the Executive Producer of the Progressive Radio Network and a former Senior Research Analyst in the biotechnology and genomic industries.
They are regular contributors to Global Research.
Notes
[1] This is a summary of the Environmental Health Report demanding the retraction of the FDA study found at
[1] Kharchenko, S.G., Zhizhin, N.K., & Kucher, D.E. (2022). Risks and problems of 5G networks development in Russia and in the world. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science, 6(1), 56–72.
[2] Hassan, N.E., & Khalil, S. (2024). Assessing the impact of radiofrequency radiation from cellular towers on human health: A comprehensive review. Journal of Public Health and Safety, 12(2), 134–150.
[3] Tyrakis, C.D. (2023). Exposure and absorption estimation of low and radio frequency electromagnetic fields in human tissues: Exposure from new wireless technologies. Journal of Electromagnetic Research and Applications, 45(4), 221–237.
[4] Jagetia, G.C. (2022). Genotoxic effects of electromagnetic field radiations from mobile phones. Environmental Research, 210, 112983.
[5] Sofri, T., Rahim, H.A., Abdulmalek, M., & Abd Rani, K. (2021). Health effects of 5G base station exposure: A systematic review. IEEE Access, 9, 43125–43139.
[6] Bonato, M., Dossi, L., Gallucci, S., & Benini, M. (2022). Assessment of human exposure levels due to mobile phone antennas in 5G networks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1546.
[7] Guizani, M., Elhence, A., & Chamola, V. (2023). Electromagnetic radiation due to cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies: How safe are we? IEEE Access, 11, 21564–21578.
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