There is no link between 5G technology and COVID-19 -Govt

Mbabane: The Government of Eswatini has assured EmaSwati that there is no link between 5G technology and COVID-19.

In a press statement released by the Acting Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Senator Manqoba Khumalo on Monday, the Minister ruled out the conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19 that it came with the development of the 5G technology.

The Minister said this theory has no basis and is totally devoid of any truth as there is absolutely no relationship between the technology and the novel coronavirus. He said while several countries have undertaken the 5G trials, or have started rollout of the 5G networks, it can be observed that these countries are affected by COVID-19 to a similar extent as those who are yet to start trials like Eswatini.

Minister Khumalo added that the recently joint declaration recently made by Eswatini and the United States also has no relationship or bearing with the vaccine whatsoever.

“While Eswatini has not yet started trials to 5G, it is important to stress that whenever the technology is deployed in the country, it will not cause any disease,” said Khumalo.

Technology

Minister Khumalo highlighted that mobile technology works by electromagnetic radiation at low power. It can be noted that 2G was developed in 1990s, and it improved to 3G later in the 2000s, followed by the 4G technology in 2010, and none of these technologies caused any diseases or introduced a virus.

Khumalo said history does provide lessons that in the years between 2000 and 2004, there was a lot of clamour and militancy against 3G technology in many European based on fears that 3G will cause diseases, but none came true.

Minister Khumalo said the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), among several Telecommunications bodies, carried numerous studies on any new or evolving technology before it comes to the market. This is done to determine if the radiation candidate bands on the radio spectrum, could have adverse effect on human life and health.

Khumalo said the same studies were conducted at the development of the 5G technology and it was determined that it poses no risk to human life and health.

He added that it is unfortunate that is seems that every evolving technology, come with some fair share of conspiracy theories perpetrated by people who have no basic knowledge of the technology in questions. He said some of this theories can be attributed to competing companies trying to slow down the roll-out of certain technology until they catch up.