A petition to halt 5G technology has received more than 360 signatures.

The campaign has called for a temporary ban on the roll-out of all 5G installations and wants more research.

This follows the proposal (19/00300/B) from telecommunications company Sure to install a mast capable of emitting 5G at Tower Farm on the Mountain Road overlooking Ramsey, which was approved on May 17.

The technology will be faster and more efficient for modern devices.

Those who have signed the petition are concerned about possible health implications that the technology could cause to humans, insects and animals. Petitioners are calling for the technology to be ’independently researched and proven nonhazardous’.

The creator of the petition, who goes under the name ’Alma B’, wrote that they were concerned about ’involuntary subjection to potentially harmful radiation’ and object ’to the removal of any mature trees or greenery on our island to make way for more transmitters’.

5G will operate at higher frequencies, so it will be quicker than 3G or 4G.

A Facebook group called ’IoM 5G Discussion’ encourages members of the public to express their views on the issue.

harmful

Members of the group who contacted the Manx Independent, but don’t want to be named, believe the higher frequencies could be harmful and have urged for further investigation as they say guidelines by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection are outdated.

The guidelines, first published in 1998 and reviewed in 2009, are currently undergoing a further review.

Dr Henrietta Ewart, public health director at the Department of Health and Social Care, last week told the Isle of Man Courier that the issue has been monitored by health regulatory agencies around the world over many years.

She added that the World Health Organisation established the WHO EMF Project to ’continually assess’ evidence on health and environmental impacts of EMF and RF exposure.

She quoted WHO stating that about 25,000 articles had been published over the past 30 years on biological effects and medical application of non-ionizing radiation.

The organisation states: ’Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals.

’Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.

’However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need further research.’

In Brussels, a pilot project to install 5G was halted due to ’fears for the health of citizens’, The Brussels Times has reported.

radiation

The Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, Céline Fremault, was quoted as saying: ’I cannot welcome such technology if the radiation standards, which must protect the citizen, are not respected, 5G or not.

’The people of Brussels are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit. We cannot leave anything to doubt.’