The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has described the purported claims in some quarters especially, the social media platforms that 5G technology is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic as not only baseless but should be discountenanced by Nigerians as false information.
ATCON said in a statement signed by its national president, Mr. Olusola Teniola, that the claims have not been substantiated by any conclusive empirical evidence, by either the World Health Organisation or other health research institutions.
“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,” ATCON said.
The association said that currently, Nigeria’s networks are made up of 2G, 3G and 4G, and recalled that in 2014, the World Health Organisation stated clearly that there was 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,” ATCON pledged.
Recall that the Nigerian media has in recent times, been awash with claims, which suggest that the 5G technology is the cause of the rampaging Coronavirus pandemic that has put the world on lockdown.