For years the FCC has enabled the telecoms industry to treat us like guinea pigs—it’s time to push back. Action Alert!
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- The FCC has been prioritizing telecom profits over public health by failing to update outdated safety standards for wireless radiation, despite growing scientific evidence linking RF exposure to serious health issues like cancer and neurological disorders.
- The agency relies heavily on industry-funded research and self-reported data, with outdated testing protocols that don’t account for children’s vulnerability, while resisting calls for independent testing and transparency.
- Federal actions and proposed legislation have undermined local governments’ ability to regulate 5G infrastructure. We must call for accountability, updated safety guidelines, and a moratorium on 5G expansion until independent research verifies its safety.
Imagine tucking your child into bed at night, unaware that just outside your home, a newly installed 5G tower is exposing your family to levels of wireless radiation that scientists warn could have serious health consequences. Or consider the headache that won’t go away after hours on your smartphone—could it be linked to years of exposure to electromagnetic radiation? While you do your best to protect your loved ones, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working behind closed doors to make it easier for telecom giants to expand their networks with minimal oversight, all while ignoring growing evidence of health risks. Now, the FCC is asking for public input on regulatory reform—but will it finally prioritize public health over corporate profits, or will it continue to allow the wireless industry to dictate the rules?
For years, independent scientists and public health advocates have raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cell phones and wireless networks. A growing body of research suggests a link between radiofrequency (RF) radiation and serious health issues, including cancer, neurological disorders, and endocrine system disruption. Yet, instead of addressing these concerns, the FCC has consistently favored the interests of the wireless industry, limiting local governments’ ability to regulate 5G infrastructure and failing to update outdated safety standards.
We asked our General Counsel, Jonathan Emord, J.D., who worked within the FCC during his early years as an attorney, what he thought of the FCC latest push for regulatory reform. This is his response:
“For decades the FCC has turned a blind eye to EMF exposure issues to avoid tackling a very real problem that could result in decisions that might in any way impair the growth of cell towers, microwave relay stations and other systems indispensable to commerce. It’s time FCC adopted the transparency President Trump has advocated. It’s time for the agency to share the data it and EPA have on risks, engage in meaningful discussions about solutions, and incentivize industry to reduce or eliminate these risks.”
The FCC’s Failure to Protect Public Health
The FCC’s regulatory framework for 5G rollout and wireless radiation exposure is fundamentally flawed. The agency’s safety guidelines for cell phone radiation, for example, are based on outdated Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits, established in 1991, which only consider thermal effects—ignoring the extensive research demonstrating non-thermal biological impacts. Even more troubling, the FCC does not conduct independent safety testing; instead, as is too often the case in government, it relies on industry-funded research and self-reported compliance data from telecom companies.
Investigations have revealed that actual radiation exposure levels from consumer devices often exceed reported SAR values. Reporting in 2019 from the Chicago Tribune found that the iPhone emitted RF radiation levels more than double the legal limit. Furthermore, SAR testing protocols are based on outdated anatomical models that fail to account for the increased vulnerability of children, whose developing brains and thinner skulls absorb more radiation than adults.
The Assault on Local Control
Many communities have attempted to push back against the unregulated expansion of 5G infrastructure, citing health and environmental concerns about which we provided a brief overview in recent coverage.
However, the FCC has systematically undermined local authority, favoring industry interests through sweeping federal preemptions. Several bills in Congress further strip municipalities of their right to regulate 5G deployment:
These legislative efforts represent a blatant giveaway to the telecom industry, prioritizing corporate profits over public safety.
Make Your Voice Count: Demand Accountability and Reform
The FCC has become a classic example of regulatory capture, where industry exerts undue influence over the agency meant to regulate it. A 2015 Harvard report exposed the FCC’s revolving door with the telecom industry, detailing how former FCC officials frequently take lucrative jobs in the private sector while industry insiders are appointed to key regulatory positions. This level of corruption has resulted in decades of inaction on the health risks associated with wireless radiation.
The FCC’s call for regulatory reform must not be another rubber-stamping of industry-friendly policies. Instead, the agency must be held accountable for its failure to protect public health. We urge the FCC to:
- Reevaluate RF exposure standards to incorporate the latest scientific research on non-thermal biological effects.
- Require independent safety testing of wireless devices and infrastructure, rather than relying on industry-funded studies.
- Restore local control over 5G deployment, allowing communities to regulate wireless infrastructure based on health and environmental concerns.
- Implement a moratorium on 5G expansion until thorough, independent research confirms its safety.
Americans deserve regulatory agencies that prioritize their health and safety over corporate profits. The FCC must be pressured to reform its wireless radiation policies to reflect the mounting scientific evidence of harm.
Action Alert! Sign our petition calling for these reforms, which ANH will submit through the FCC’s system. Please send your message immediately.
