Electromagnetic emissions from 4G and 5G base stations pose only minimal health risks, as they are far below the standards stipulated by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Since the auction of 5G licenses two years ago, more than 35,000 5G base stations have been built across the nation, covering 94 percent of the population, NCC Commissioner Wang Cheng-chia (王正嘉) told a news conference.
However, some people are still worried about potential health risks, Wang said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Some base stations had been removed after protests by local residents, only to be reinstalled after the residents realized they could not receive phone signals, Wang said.
To allay public concern, the NCC tasked National Yunlin University of Science and Technology with conducting a study of electromagnetic emissions by 4G and 5G base stations, he said.
The study involved 34 sites in the north, south and east of Taiwan, as well as the outlying islands, that had 4G and 5G installations, said Kuo Wen-chung (郭文中), a professor of computer science and information engineering at the university.
“The sites were chosen because they accommodate devices and antennas installed by a majority of telecoms, and the results we obtained from the sites would best represent all base stations,” he said.
Researchers measured non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (NIEA) based on the rules stipulated by the EPA, Kuo said.
“We found that the highest NIEA value detected was only about 0.039 percent of the reference values stipulated by the ICNIRP and the EPA, which are close to those of European countries and the US. The average of the highest values detected was 0.0125 percent of the reference values,” Kuo said.
The results show that a base station is even safer than a microwave oven and an electric razor, he said.
The commission said that 50,000 microcell stations are to be installed on utility poles and traffic lights to further boost 5G coverage.
Although the NCC has been running an awareness campaign for more than 10 years, it has not been particularly successful in assuaging public fears. Aside from public protests, the commission has only managed to secure 685 government properties on which to install base stations from 2014 to last year.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan