COVID-19 is a word that can be found in almost every news article as of late. Most news regarding the virus is bad. However, it's important to note that some news is good and some news is even encouraging. But there is some news out there that is just plain odd – including coronavirus conspiracy theories leading people to burn 5G towers.
3G has been around for almost 20 years, 4G for almost 10 years and 5G is in the process of being rolled out to the public in many countries. These are technologies that many enjoy in their daily life and each iteration has brought faster internet and better usability. However, “online conspiracy theories have misleadingly linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic”, The Verge reports.
Image credit: Raconteur
The image above shows a picture of an ordinary 5G mast. These are made to connect mobile phones to the internet, but some people are linking them to the spread of coronavirus. Some of these people haven't only made the connection in their mind, but they have also taken action – to put fire to 5G masts.
The arsonists seem to be diligent since The Verge reports that “At least one tower in Birmingham, operated by EE, doesn’t even provide 5G services but was still set on fire”. The same report shared that a spokesman from Vodafone said that four of its towers had been targeted in a 24-hour period.
According to the conspiracy theories, the city of Wuhan started getting the virus right after making 5G available. However, the theories seems to be somewhat lacking in logic, since 5G is far from being rolled out in all countries hit by the virus. It's hard to determine how long time the conspiracy theories will continue to circulate.]
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KitGuru says: It's difficult to understand the reasoning behind the conspiracy theories that are saying that 5G is the culprit behind the COVID-19 virus. Hopefully the arsonists will calm down soon enough and stop their destruction of valuable technology.