As of 2024, there were approximately 350,000 to 400,000 cell sites in the US and around 175,000 cell towers. Of these sites and towers, it is estimated that 70% have 5G enabled in some capacity.
Cell Tower Radiation
Cell towers emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. This type of radiation is also called microwave radiation, or simply wireless radiation.
The amount radiation emitted will vary from tower to tower based on the amount and type of antennas housed on the tower.
Bigger cell towers generally house more antennas on them and will emit higher levels of radiation than smaller towers with less antennas.
Newer cell towers erected after 2019 will contain 5G antennas. Many older cell towers now also house 5G antennas, as they have been added to these towers since the 5G roll-out.
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the agency that has current jurisdiction over the levels of wireless radiation the population is allowed to be exposed to. They are also in charge of overseeing the erection of cell towers.
Due to the 1996 Telecommunications Act, cell towers were able to be erected without much in the way of regulations or oversight. This allowed for their rapid proliferation, and with it the beginning of the Digital Culture.
“In practice, it [the Telecommunications Act] gave way to one of the largest consolidations of the telecommunications sector in history – as such, it is often described as an attempt to deregulate the American broadcasting and telecommunications markets due to technological convergence.”
Understanding Digital Culture by Vincent Miller
Health Risks From Living Near Cell Towers
According to hundreds of peer-reviewed published research, there is a substantial health risk for those whose homes are in close proximity to cell towers.
Studies show that people living near cell towers are exposed to higher levels of background radiation.
Tumors
One study designed to mimic radiation from cell towers found that the exposure to the wireless radiation caused tumors. These tumors were the same type of tumors as found in human epidemiological cell phone studies.
Lowered Attention Spans in Children
Studies of children and adolescents living near cell towers found the higher exposure to wireless radiation led to delayed fine and gross motor skills, problems with spatial working memory, lowered attention spans, reduced cognitive flexibility, and lower verbal expression.
Diabetes
Studies also found a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes for those living close to cell towers.
Cancer
A 2017 study in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine evaluated the blood of those living within 80 meters of a cell tower and compared it to the blood of a control group of individuals who lived over 300 meters from a cell tower.
They found that the blood of those living near the cell tower showed signs of lipid oxidation, which is considered to be a biomarker of cancer.
A 2011 study in Experimental Oncology found that just one year of living close to a cell tower resulted in a dramatic increase in cancer rates for the population.
Neuropsychiatric Problems
A 2007 study in Neurotoxicology found that living near cell towers increased the risk for neuropsychiatric problems such as headaches, memory problems, dizziness, tremors, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep problems, memory loss, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Mortality from Cancer
A 10 year study published in the Science of the Total Environment in 2011 found that people living within 500 meters or less of a cell tower had a higher risk of dying from cancer. This study was done in Brazil.
Legal Action Taken
In Brazil, after their 10 year study on cell towers showed an increase in cancer mortality, several cell phone companies were sued and were forced to dismantle towers within residential areas.
“The human exposure pattern guidelines are inadequate. More restrictive limits must be adopted urgently.”
Brazil study/ int journal of environmental research and public health
In the US in 2019, a cell tower was removed from the roof of an elementary school after three teachers and four students were diagnosed with different forms of cancer.
In 2023, a couple in Long Beach, CA, won a court case and stopped the erection of a 5G cell tower in front of their home.
“Appellants have shown that the FCC’s determination as to what are safe and acceptable RF emission exposure levels are antiquated and not based on current scientific evidence and that the FCC regulations are instead industry sponsored, outdated, and just plain wrong, causing the public to be exposed to unnecessary and harmful radiation.”
Hearing Examiner Determination for 5g Court Case
The statement from the Hearing Examiner sums up the current situation with cell tower radiation perfectly.
Sources:
Impact of Radiofrequency Radiation on DNA Damage and Antioxidants in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes of Humans Residing in the Vicinity of Mobile Phone Base Stations
Investigation on the Health of People Living Near Mobile Telephone Relay Stations
Mobile Phone Base Station Tower Settings Adjacent to School Buildings: Impact on Students’ Cognitive Health
Neurobehavioral Effects Among Inhabitants Around Mobile Phone Base Stations
How one California Couple Beat the Future at Their Doorstep: A 5G Cell Site
Mortality By Neoplasia and Cellular Telephone Base Stations in the Belo Horizonte Municipality
Peer Reviewed Published Research on Cell Tower Radiation, Base Station Radiation and Health Effects
