5G Safe, Set for Deployment in 2021 – NCC
TECH DIGEST – The Nigerian Communications Commission says the trial of the fifth generation mobile network shows that there is no health hazard associated with the use of the technology.
The commission in a draft consultation document on Deployment of Fifth Generation Mobile Technology in Nigeria published on Monday stated that the trial was conducted in six cities – Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Kano and Calabar.
The regulatory body said the tests were conducted in accordance with the 1998 International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines for general public exposure to varying electromagnetic fields, which were in force at the time of the trials.
It said the results of EMF radiation indicated that the highest radiation at 26 GHz millimeter wave at 5m away from source was 4.3 per cent and at 30m from the source was 0.14 per cent.
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It added that the highest radiation at 3.5 GHz at 5m away from the source was 11.4 per cent and at 30m away from the source was 1.9 per cent of ICNIRP specification of 61 v/m for frequency range 2-300 GHz.
“These results are far below the ICNIRP specification for protection of members of the public in the Guidelines and therefore suggest that no public health hazards are expected from the use of 5G in Nigeria,” the NCC said.
The telecoms regulator stated that the deployment of the new network in the country would be done in two phases.
It said the phase one, which involves deployment based on the non-standalone approach, would commence in 2021.
According to the NCC, the phase two based on the stand-alone approach, which relies on new spectrum allocations, will commence in 2022.
“The current race to deploy 5G networks is targeted at providing citizens with the benefits of the technology while at the same time enabling the activation of the digital economy,” it said.
