Dr Lisa Hutchinson
In ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge after the ghost of Marley. Here, in the reality of rebelling against 5G and other concerning wireless communications, we have uncovered a few Ghosts of Christmas past or rather – Fake-Mast Past – of our own. It is almost incomprehensible to be writing on phony occurrences relating to wireless telecommunications masts, but we are in unprecedented times. The harsh reality is that governments are not reliable and rarely tell the public the truth. So, what does the Ghost of Christmas Past have to do with 5G masts? Incredibly, a group of concerned individuals unexpectedly discovered that unsigned and invalid ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) self certificates have been issued in the documents submitted in planning applications for 4G and 5G masts in the names of companies that are either dissolved or do not exist. Spoiler alert: this is not a one-off occurrence or oversight. Thousands of masts around the UK have self certificates of ICNIRP conformity issued in the names of non-existent companies. Notably, companies issuing ICNIRP self certification of compliance is a conflict of interest. The fact these certificates have been issued in the names of non-existent companies could be considered to be fraud, plain and simple!
“Thousands of masts around the UK have self certificates of ICNIRP conformity issued in the names of non-existent companies”
This story began in August 2023 with the stellar work of Ian Jarvis from Wolverhampton. Richard Vobes interviewed Ian Jarvis about this very issue, which readers can view. He uncovered that ICNIRP self-certificates of conformity had been issued for thousands of telecom masts across the UK, some registered in names of non-extant, dissolved companies. Ian and others took the steps to check and follow up with due diligence related to this anomaly. What they discovered by checking on Companies House, was that several companies whose names appear on the ICNIRP certificates, are in the names of companies that do not exist. One example is Three UK Limited. There are other examples where ICNIRP certificates include the names of companies that do not use the registered legal name of the company, such as VMO2 instead of VMED O2 UK Ltd. Thus far, from fewer than 30 local planning authorities (LPAs) we have collected over 1,000 such examples. Extrapolating that to all 300+ LPAs could mean there have been potentially over 10,000. To be clear, these were all applications and not all would have been approved.
In an accompanying video on the ACHES website, Nicholas Martin discusses the case of a mast in the Wokingham Borough Council area, which had such a certificate in its planning permission application documentation. If a company wishes to erect a 5G mast, planning permission would be needed together with certification that the infrastructure complies with ICNIRP guidance. It has been discovered that telecommunications structures that should comply with the guidance set for public safety have ICNIRP certificates issued in the name of Three UK Limited, which was dissolved on 27th October 2015. Ofcom is the government agency that regulates telecommunications. Companies making the 5G mast planning applications should be listed on the Ofcom register of persons with powers under the Electronic Communications Code (ECC). In Bedford, there was an example where the applicant was not on the Ofcom register because the applicant itself was the non-existent company, Three UK Ltd. In this example, both the ICNIRP certificate and the applicant were both in the name of Three UK Ltd.
Under the Forgery and Counterfeiting 1981 Act, this is an example of the use of a false instrument under this act, which can be considered a type of fraud. Telecommunications masts and cabinets being erected by applicants not listed on the Ofcom register is not infrequent. Nicholas Martin wrote to Wokingham Borough Council to explain that a 5G mast in the area was granted planning permission on the basis of an ICNIRP self certification issued in the name of a company that does not exist. Moreover, the applicant Cignal Infrastructure UK Ltd was not on the Ofcom register of “persons with powers under the Electronic Communications Code” at the time of the application. A retired Police Inspector was consulted and he considered that the use of a defunct company in certification was a breach of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. Nicholas referred this example to the relevant Police and Crimes Commissioner, whose office referred him to Action Fraud and they referred him to Ofcom. Ofcom said they do not police such matters and Action Fraud mainly deals with credit card issues and considers this outside of their remit. Nicholas then wrote to the Chief Constable of Thames Valley to ask if he would be prepared to investigate this issue, but he did not investigate. Nicholas referred the situation to the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) – who investigate police matters. Nothing so far has transpired from this referral.
“Telecommunications masts and cabinets being erected by applicants not listed on the Ofcom register is not infrequent”
Crucially, ICNIRP guidelines only consider the heating effects of non-ionizing radiation – they do not take into account the non-thermal effects of telecommunications wireless radiation, which effects can be considered a precursor to cancer. This was admitted by the telecommunications industry itself in a patent application by Swisscom. In 2003, Swisscom knew that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) were an emerging health risk, yet nothing has prevented technology using this harmful radiation from being used. Local and national UK government states that relying on ICNIRP guidance is sufficient. Yet, local councils are not even following these guidelines! ICNIRP guidelines exclude anyone with metal in their body, which includes amalgam dental fillings, pacemakers and other metal devices, but the majority of councils are not taking safeguarding measures to protect such people.
A document from Nokia, who are involved in 5G antenna design, shows that a 5G mast can cover hundreds of square miles, so local councils need to canvass all their residents to discover who needs special safeguarding if they fall outside the ICNIRP guidance.To date, it appears no such safeguarding has been done. Thus, installing telecommunications technologies that emit radiation waves that interrupt or disrupt the mechanism of pacemakers (for example) is extremely concerning. The US telecom company, Verizon, and others make provision for claims against them arising as a result of this technology – presumably they would not need to make such provision if they felt fully indemnified against such claims by their insurers. Wandsworth Borough Council in London declared in an FOIA reply, that their insurers said that they are not covered for such EMF effects. People would be within their rights to take legal action against local councils if they are harmed by 5G masts in such circumstances. Of note, the effects of 5G radiation are not underwritten by insurers, such as Lloyds of London or Swiss Re. The ACHES team has notified every single council across England about these serious concerns.
The difference between 4G and 5G relates to how the radiation is transmitted through the air. WiFi, all wireless, and 3G/4G radiation is isotropic in nature. The strength of the radiation weakens the further away you are from the source. 5G is a different technology because it is beam-forming energy, which acts similarly to a laser beam, but in the microwave spectrum. 5G originated on the battlefield, and the energy travels for miles unimpeded. On the battlefield, 5G works by scanning the field for emitting devices and then the data is backhauled to a computer and then it locks on to a target. The 5G-emitting device then fires a beam of energy at the target. Certain frequencies in the 5G beam-forming range might not travel for long distances, for example, 60 or 100 Gigahertz (GHz), but the sub-GHz frequencies can travel hundreds of miles and travel through buildings. We all know that WiFi goes through buildings and that is at the low sub-GHz range of 2.4GHz to 5GHz.
The distinguished Professor Klaus Buchner has highlighted that this technology can cause ADHD and autism, and children are especially vulnerable. Experiments in rats showed that ADHD, autism, and diabetes develop when they are exposed to microwave-in-air technology. Professor Buchner showed that phenylethylamine (PEA), which is an organic neurotransmitter that enhances concentration, is depleted for example by WiFi radiation, preventing people from concentrating properly. It is deeply concerning that so many councils have erected masts with 5G capability near schools. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to note that in the USA, a presidential Executive Order obliges the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the effects of EMF radiation in relation to the current high incidence of chronic diseases amongst children.
A group in Brighton in November 2022 brought a judicial review against the Brighton and Hove City Council, which caused the council to back down. One key reason they had to concede and rescind planning permission was the council did not address the health effects of the technology, especially its proximity to a nearby school. This and other separate cases will be discussed in more depth in future blogs. Ultimately, when public awareness increases, members of the public will start to put pressure on local councils to desist in putting up 5G technology. Collectively, we can begin to make progress in creating a safer environment for our health. We don’t need 5G technology as there are sufficient download speeds with 4G. Our task at ACHES is to educate councils and the public regarding these facts. We hope our readers will spread this important message far and wide – as it is not just relevant at Christmas time but all year round!
“When public awareness increases, members of the public will start to put pressure on local councils to desist in putting up 5G technology”