I have now come to another difficult to write about subject that I declared I would do soon after writing my “Watching from my wall (2024/25)” blog (see here) that I posted at the end of last year. It concerns masts that are regularly popping up all over the place of late and is all about, supposedly, the ongoing improvements being made in our national telecommunications infrastructure. It is a difficult task for, while my gut feeling is that this is an extremely important subject, it is not one that I am particularly expert on.

Being a regular Facebook user, I find I am regularly invited to join some or other group, which I usually decline. But when I was invited to join the “Southend Mast Objection Group” (see here) I decided to accept. One of the postings around that time showed a photo (see above) and was introduced by the words: “This has gone up at the bottom of Westbourne Grove . I didn’t see anything about this on the planning site”. I was interested not just because (imho) it concerns the general wrong direction that my country is going but it also happens that said mast is very close to where I live and I too had observed it going up, raising several questions in my mind.  

In preparing to make this post, I decided to check out what people had to say on the subject from various platforms. One post encapsulating the concerns of many objectors reads: “During Covid almost EVERY Country in The World erected thousands of 5G Masts both stealthily & in record time, costing billions, in what was a clearly a globally coordinated effort to do so. Of course nobodies mobile internet dramatically improved at all. If this doesn’t even make you the slightest bit suspicious as to why this happened, then you simply aren’t paying attention” was likely representative of how many feel, and would likely lead one down many rabbit holes.

These concerns and the questions that arise include:

1. Safety: (relating to the harmful effects of EMF radiation generally and 5G specifically). What checks have been and are being done to ensure mast and radiation safety?
2. Research: what attention has been given to the growing body of research suggesting the net harm of erecting these towers and how these are being / will be used?
3. Accountability: who authorised the erection of these masks and how have people been informed and how were they consulted, especially noting that many think this has not been done?
4. Plans: What are the plans for the future roll out of these masts?
5. Agenda: what is the longer-term intentions regarding use, e.g. more surveillance and control of citizens including arising out of the roll out of digital ids. electronic currency and use of social credit scores to restrict movement, seen elsewhere, e.g. China?

Other posts stated there was no problem and what we are seeing is using technology to improve lives e.g. better communication. As for those who say otherwise, they are often misinformed conspiracy theorists, who at worst believe that bad people were behind it who had a nefarious agenda. When I did my customary Google search, here “Masts, EMF and 5G”, the first hit I got informed me that: “A “mast” in the context of 5G refers to a cell phone tower which transmits radio waves used for 5G connectivity, and the “EMF” (electromagnetic field) emitted from these masts is considered safe when operating within internationally agreed guidelines, with most regulatory bodies stating that 5G radiation levels from masts are well below any potential health concerns; meaning that living near a 5G mast is not considered a significant health risk based on current scientific understanding.  5G masts emit radiofrequency radiation, a type of non-ionizing radiation considered safe at the levels currently used in mobile networks. Governments and telecommunications authorities like Ofcom (UK) regularly monitor EMF levels near 5G masts to ensure they comply with strict international safety standards (ICNIRP guidelines)”.

What I am not going to do are deep dives into the various, as I see it, consequences in the erecting of masts (as indicated earlier) that seem to have speeded up considerably in recent months, evidenced when I drive around my city seeing many masts that as far as I was aware were not around a relatively short time ago. While there are many other deep dive subjects that occupy my attention at this time because of the concerns that arise, besides 5G masts (often these are related and often seeming to lead to a dystopian society despite claims to the contrary), I am grateful to those who do their research and don’t let it rest there but take action in raising awareness and demanding accountability etc. The best I can do right now is to ask questions and raise concerns, e.g. by writing this blog, and sharing these with my local MP and ward councillors, given that in our democratic system they have been mandated to act on our behalf.