5G conspiracy theorists have been setting fire to the wrong masts
There has been a rise in attacks on phone masts in the UK, with the assailants believed to be conspiracy theorists seemingly convinced that 5G technology is at the root of all manner of health issues, including the Covid-19 outbreak. The claims are completely unfounded, and there is no evidence that 5G is harmful to humans.
At least five mobile phone masts are believed to have been torched in the UK over recent days − four belonging to Vodafone and one belonging to EE − but it turns out that several of them were not actually 5G masts.
“Our engineers are assessing the cause of the fire at one of our towers in Birmingham. If it transpires that it was arson, which looks likely at this time, then we will work to help West Midlands police identify a culprit,” a spokesperson for EE told Trusted Reviews.
“To deliberately take away mobile connectivity at a time when people need more than ever to stay connected to each other is a reckless, harmful and dangerous thing to do.
“This site served thousands of people in the Birmingham area, providing vital 2G, 3G and 4G connectivity as it has done for many years. We will try to restore full coverage as quickly as possible, but the damage caused by the fire is significant.”
Vodafone also confirmed to Trusted Reviews that “some” of the masts that were vandalised were not 5G masts.
“I’m saddened today to report that vandals have carried out a series of arson attacks on mobile phone masts during this time of national crisis,” said Nick Jeffery, the CEO of Vodafone UK.
“It beggars belief that some people should want to harm the very networks that are providing essential connectivity to the emergency services, the NHS, and rest of the country during this difficult lockdown period.
“This is now a matter of national security. Police and counter terrorism authorities are investigating.”
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He added: “Online stories connecting the spread of coronavirus to 5G are utterly baseless. Please don’t share them on social media – fake news can have serious consequences.”
All four of the UK’s major mobile networks also issued a joint statement at the weekend, and Michael Gove and Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, have also condemned the 5G conspiracy theorists.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
