Ans. No, there is no link what so ever between 5G and CORONAVIRUS or COVID-19.
- Should I ignore all the negative narratives I am hearing about 5G ?
Ans. No, but rely on information from world Standards making bodies such as WHO, ITU, IEEE and industry experts for advice when in doubt.
- Is there Standard limit set for Radiation from mobile devices?
Ans. Yes, 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.
- Are the mobile network operators in Nigeria conforming to the Radiation emissions limits ?
Ans. Yes, 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.
- Is 5G same as Fibre cable?
Ans. No, fibre cable is a terrestrial technology for broadband that existed for decades while 5G is a new mobile technology for enhanced quality of service as explained in Q1 above.
- Are there other sources of Radiation apart from mobile Base stations ?
Ans. Yes, there are other sources of Radiation which include 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.
- Who owns 5G ?
Ans. 5G is not owned by anybody but collection of technologies, Standards and processes agreed at the international level by Standards making bodies.
- Has NCC issued licenses for 5G in Nigeria ?
Ans. No, NCC has not issued any licence for 5G in Nigeria. NCC is technology neutral as such we don’t license technology but assigns spectrum to operators for deployment of any service when allocated by NFMC.
- Why are some operators rolling out fibre during the lockdown period?
Ans. As a result of the lockdown, the amount of voice and data usage has increased by huge amounts and there is need to expand the network to provide optimum quality of service to users sitting at home. Telecom is also critical for information decimination during the lockdown.
SIGNED
Dr. Henry Nkemadu
Director, Public Affairs
Nigerian Communications Commission
05 April 2020