The Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) says there is no scientific link between fifth generation (5G) cellular mobile technologies and Covid-19 or any clinical evidence linking the technology to the novel virus.
Further, Potraz assured Zimbabweans that only standardised network equipment would be allowed for deployment into the country.
This followed unproved conspiracy theories linking the G5 to the spread of Covid-19. Fifth Generation is the latest wireless mobile phone technology first deployed in 2019.
In various countries, G5 and communication infrastructure had been subjected to vandalism and acts of arson and sabotage as people were being misled to believe that there is a link between the two.
In a statement, Potraz director general Dr Gift Machengete said: “There is no scientific link between 5G and Covid-19 or its spread. There is no clinical evidence linking 5G and Covid-19 or its spread. 5G operates in the non-ionising portion of the electromagnetic field and currently there are no 5G deployments in Zimbabwe. All network deployments in Zimbabwe are done in accordance with ITU based international standards and under Zimbabwe law, network vandalism or intentional damage to critical information infrastructure is a criminal offence which upon conviction carries a minimum of 10 years in jail.”
Dr Machengete said unlike its predecessors, 5G will be more human and environmentally friendly as it will employ beam0forming antennas to focus signals more efficiently towards the device in use rather than having the signal spread in broad directions as in current base station antennas.
He said no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.
“Health related conclusions are drawn from studies performed across the entire radio spectrum including those to be used for 5G,” he said.
“Tissue heating is the main mechanism of interaction between radiofrequency fields and the human body. Radio frequency exposure levels from current technologies result in negligible temperature rise in the human body.”
