ILMA Compoundings - June 2020 - 29

Government Agencies, Industry Groups Deem 5G Safe
Several groups have raised concerns over the health effects that
may be associated with the more robust network that 5G will bring.
"The impending rollout of 5G technology will require the
installation of hundreds of thousands of 'small cell' sites in
neighborhoods and communities throughout the country,
and these installations will emit higher-frequency radio waves
than previous generations of cellular technology," Rep. Peter
DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in a letter to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
However, the FCC has said the current exposure levels for
cellphones, wireless towers, Wi-Fi routers and all other devices
emitting radio-frequency (RF) signals are safe. Last year, FCC
Chairman Ajit Pai issued a proposal that would maintain the
commission's existing RF exposure limits. The proposal came
after more than six years of public input and review.
"The FCC sets radio-frequency limits in close consultation with
the [Food and Drug Administration] and other health agencies.
After a thorough review of the record and consultation with
these agencies, we find it appropriate to maintain the existing
RF limits, which are among the most stringent in the world
for cellphones," said Julius Knapp, chief of the FCC's Office of
Engineering and Technology.

machine failure forecasting to the next
level. "Combining machine data with
sensors on vibration, temperature,
shock and current will help manufacturers make repairs or predict a
machine failure before it happens,"
Van Dorselaer said. "Manufacturing
facilities collect data from thousands
of tools and equipment. Adding 5G
in the mix enhances the scale and
volume of the data being collected
and improves the ability to process
that data from many devices in near
real time."
The connectivity 5G provides will
enable the use of drones, and the widespread use of commercial drones has the
potential to benefit multiple industries,
including manufacturing, IHS reported.
"There are numerous benefits to using
drones for commercial and industrial
applications. These include minimized
time and risk, enhanced functionality
and effectiveness, and reduced costs

CTIA, a trade association representing the wireless communications industry in the U.S., said the scientific consensus
is that there are no known health risks from all forms of RF
energy at the low levels approved for everyday consumer
use. "The FCC regulates RF emissions, including millimeter
waves from 5G devices and equipment, and has adopted the
recommendations of expert scientific organizations that have
reviewed the science, including dozens of studies focused specifically on millimeter waves, and established safe exposure
levels," CTIA stated on its website.
In addition, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), a Germany-based scientific
body in charge of setting limits on exposure to radiation,
has said that 5G is safe. Earlier this year, ICNIRP updated its
advisory guidelines for the first time in more than 20 years.
ICNIRP Chairman Eric van Rongen said the new electromagnetic field guidelines took seven years to develop and are more
appropriate than the 1998 guidelines for the higher frequencies that will be used for 5G in the future. "We know parts of
the community are concerned about the safety of 5G, and we
hope the updated guidelines will help put people at ease," van
Rongen said.

compared to the fees being paid to
vehicle operators," according to IHS.

The Need for Speed
One of the primary benefits of 5G is
speed. "With 5G, they're making it faster
and making the bandwidth broader," said
Sean O'Donnell, chairman of Datacor.
"Manufacturers are going to get information faster, and there will be more
information pushed over the line."
Koenig said 5G will be 100 times
faster and five times more responsive
than today's networks.
With 4G, there was a lag time that
disrupted efficiency, but 5G makes
use of new technology that diminishes
latency to mere milliseconds, Uphoff
said. "This is necessary for manufacturers
who want to implement the industrial
internet of things, or IIOT, which
requires enormous data," he explained.
While the vast majority of infrastructure on the factory floor will continue

to rely on wired connectivity, creating
smarter factories, augmenting workers
and supporting mobility of assets on
the factory floor creates opportunities
for a high-bandwidth, secure wireless
solution, which could be addressed
through 5G, IHS reported.
"A lot of manufacturers have dead
zones in their plants - the 5G,
depending on how broad it is, and if
it is expanding its total coverage, that
will be beneficial for them because
they don't have to add Wi-Fi boosters," O'Donnell said.
He said the ability to send information faster could change how training
is provided inside a facility. "Instead of
written instructions, you might have
video instructions."

Improved Mobility
O'Donnell said he expects 5G to help
manufacturers' mobile applications
for the times workers leave the plants.

ILMA Compoundings - June 2020

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