Information suggesting 5G Network causes Coronavirus is baseless, untrue, says ATCON

Success Damian:

Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has debunked the rumour making the rounds that 5^th Generation Network (5G) causes Coronavirus.

In a press statement, Olusola Teniola, President ATCON said the information trending on all social media like Facebook, WhatsAapp, Twitter, LinkedIn and a host of others is riddled with falsehood.

“We wish to draw the attention of Nigerians to  the unfounded claims and misinformation that is trending on all social media like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, LinkedIn and a host of others, which suggest that Fifth Generation (5G) technology is causative factor of Coronavirus pandemic also known as COVID-19,” Teniola said.

According to the release, ATCON informed telecom consumers, stakeholders and the entire Nigerians, that without equivocation, that the purported claims that 5G is responsible for COVID-19 is baseless and it should be discountenanced by Nigerians as what it is: false information. 

He said “The claims have not been substantiated, by any conclusive empirical evidence, by either the World Health Organisation or other health research institutions.”

Teniola maintained that no one has been issued with 5G Licence in Nigeria  “There has been no issuance of 5G Licence to any of our members to build and deploy 5G network in Nigeria by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). However, what has happened recently was just a trial of the 5G network by one of our members which was well supervised by the telecoms regulator.”

He said Currently Nigeria's networks are made up of 2G, 3G and 4G. 

Speaking further, he said “In 2014, the World Health Organisation stated clearly that there is not yet any conclusive scientific evidence to the effect that there are adverse health effects caused by telecommunications infrastructures to human with respect to exposure to the non-ionising radiation emitting by telecoms base stations.

“ATCON, as the umbrella Association of all telecommunications companies in Nigeria, would like to state unequivocally that it would not  be part of the deployment of any technology in-country that would put the health of any Nigerian at risk, as we believe the health of end-users of any technological advancement comes as a priority in the deployment consideration of such technology by our members to provide services to Nigerians.,” Teniola said.