Last week’s Just Cruising delved into the impact on cruisers from the coming 5G cellular protocols that are starting to be deployed around the world. There is no doubt 5G will change things ashore and afloat. But for the better? Or are we opening the Pandora’s Box of technical wizardry with a whirlwind of unintended consequences? Here are some thoughts from readers who are up to speed on the world of 5G.
Very interesting mention about 5G. I’m watching this closely and keeping fingers crossed the rollout takes place quickly.
How will 5G affect our cruising? We have been cruising full time since 2015 and have spent all of it coastal cruising, most of that time with cell connection even here in Mexico for the past 2 1/2 years (except parts of Baja). Our boat is 20 years old and we’re due for an electronics upgrade which we’ve been planning on doing before our Puddle Jump in 3-5 years. With 5G rollout we look forward to some very interesting new navigation and communication products.
More stories on this topic going forward would be of great interest.
Thank you
Chris Glubka
SV SeaGlub
Hello George,
I’m a cruiser on a circumnavigation, currently in the Maldives.
I read your lines in the Cruising Compass #654 mailing, and would like to comment about the upcoming 5G network.
Being from Switzerland, a small landlocked but innovative country, there is a lot of talk about the ongoing tests by our ex-national carrier Swisscom. Geneva is also the headquarters of the ITU. Although the technology seems very promising, there is also a lot of concern about the negative side effects to humans’ and animals’ health.
The new millimetre wave band frequency range from 30 to 300 GHz compared to microwave band of 700 MHz to 3 GHz will be absorbed by human and animal tissues instead of bouncing off the skin. Not much research was conducted to find out what harm the new 5G technology will cause us.
So for the moment I suggest that countries and big telecommunication enterprises wait a bit before rolling out a technology that could have a very big negative impact on our health. But of course money and greed will ignore the real researches and try at all costs to make a profit over our health. I lean towards caution for now.
On another practical note, if the 5G technology means increasing the number of antennas, how will this be achieved at sea without fixed points where to install these antennas? Will each boat/device be a repeater?
You probably said it well: “ 5G is going to blow the tops of our heads off.”
I look forward to reading other comments.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Patrick Michel
S/Y Ostrika
Switzerland
Hi George,
I read your article in Cruising Compass about 5G. I don’t share your
enthusiasm. I can’t think of a more dangerous evolution to our nautical
world.
The reason hacking, identity theft, denial of service, etc work is
because people are uneducated or lazy. I can’t imagine a worse scenario
where somewhere, someone with their vessel 5G connected with all the
latest gizmos, goes below to have a cocktail, secure in the “knowledge”
that their “smart” system will modify their course to avoid navigational
hazards. But because he or someone on board has clicked on a link in a
phishing attempt, our blissful skipper isn’t in charge of his vessel
anymore. The disastrous results will be dutifully reported in
publications like Cruising Compass and the same or similar disasters
will continue.
I won’t go into the COLREG violations your scenario will result in at
this time.
Sincerely,
Pat Lynch
