The reason for the resistance comes on the back of reports about possible health risks from the technology. In April, the Canton of Geneva halted the construction of 5G antennas; it wants to wait until independent scientific findings are available regarding any possible health damage. A July survey conducted by the company “Die Marktforscher” in German-speaking Switzerland revealed growing uncertainty among the population: 44% of the approximately 800 respondents believe that the expansion will have negative to very negative effects – twice as many as a year ago. The “Tagesanzeiger” newspaper emphasizes that this also has consequences for companies. Currently, one in three building applications for 5G antennas filed by telecom service providers Sunrise and Swisscom are the subject of a complaint. Whether justified or not, additional costs and delays in the expansion of the 5G infrastructure are expected.

In Germany, too, the discussion of possible health hazards is causing concern. According to the assessment of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, however, the current state of scientific knowledge indicates that no health-relevant effects can be expected if the prescribed limit values are adhered to.