5G designed to transform the world positively-NCC

Apparently determined  to clear the air about the raging  controversy  stirred  by the  widely circulated the theory linking COVID-19 to 5G technology, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says there is no correlation between  COVID-19 and  5G technology, noting  that 5G is an advancement  on today’s  4G technology designed to transform the world positively. 

In a statement signed  by the Director  of Publicity, NCC, Dr Henry Nkemadu, the body explained  that there is no deployment of 5G in Nigeria at the moment, adding  that the NCC back in November 2019 approved a trial test for 5G for a period of three  months and the trial has been concluded and installation decommissioned.

He further stated  that the trial, among others, was to study and observe any health or security challenges the 5G network might present as relevant stakeholders, including members of the security agencies, were invited to participate during the trial.

Nkemadu assured that the NCC will continue to maintain its policy of technology neutrality and will continue to encourage Service Providers to deploy the best technology that will meet the needs of the society in a secure and friendly manner.

On whether there are  other sources of radiation apart from mobile base stations, he said while it is true that there are other sources of radiation which includes television stations, radio broadcasts stations, wifi and so on, they all belong to the class of radiation considered to be safe for humans when operated below the set limits.

Nkemadu explains that there is radiation emission limits set by the International Commission for Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) below which the radiation is considered safe for humans, adding that the NCC has been regularly conducting measurements of radiation emissions from base stations across the country and they are all well below the set limits.

According to him, NCC has not issued any licence for 5G in Nigeria and it  doesn’t license technology but assigns spectrum to operators for deployment of any service when allocated by National Frequency Management Council NFMC.

Speaking on why some operators  are rolling out fibre during  the lockdown period, he says the amount of voice and data usage has increased by huge amounts and there is a need to expand the network to provide optimum quality of service to users sitting at home, adding that telecom is also critical for information dissemination when there is a lockdown.

5G is the fifth generation of mobile technology which is an improvement on 4G technology with enhanced capabilities. The 5G technology provides the platform for new and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to improve the way we live and work.