The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has called on the public to disregard conspiracy theories linking the deployment of Fifth-Generation (5G) technologies and infrastructure to the spread of the coronavirus.
In a statement, the authority said this
narrative should be ignored as it was aimed at bringing instability and fear.
ICASA again debunked the conspiracy theories,
which first came to light in April last year.
“The Authority would like to reiterate its
position that the development of standards for International Mobile
Telecommunication for 2020 (IMT-2020) and beyond (commercially known as 5G), is
continuing at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); and that the
administration, including ICASA, contribute and participates in these
processes.’’
ICASA Chairperson, Dr Keabetswe Modimoeng said
the public should only rely on scientifically-based evidence and refrain from
baseless theories.
“Some of the frequencies earmarked and trialled
for 5G deployment by industry players were previously assigned to various
operators in South Africa – way before the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in
2020. Such fake theories can only cause despair and unnecessary technophobia
among South Africans and must be strongly condemned,” said Modimoeng.
The authority said South Africa adheres to the
relevant standards prescribed by both the ITU and the World Health Organisation
(WHO), with the former’s focus being primarily on the regulation of radio
frequency electromagnetic field emissions.
ICASA confirmed that type-approved electronic
communications facilities, provided in the country adhere to the prescribed
standards and that there is no evidence that they pose any health risks to the
country and/or its citizens.
Done By: Mitchum George
No comments:
Post a Comment