OUR says 5G technology is not in Jamaica

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) yesterday said that there is currently no deployment of 5G technology in Jamaica and "none of the existing mobile telecommunication providers has advised of any definite plans for the immediate implementation of this technology".

The OUR, which regulates the telecommunications industry, said that regulatory agencies and experts worldwide have repeatedly said that there is no connection between 5G technology and COVID-19. It said, too, that 5G technologies have the potential to facilitate increased productivity and data handling.

Experts said that 5G technology makes mobile and Internet communications much faster, but conspiracy theorists say that the radiation from these towers can weaken people's immune system, making them prone to illness. However, the World Health Organization said that after much research, "no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies".

Last week, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) said the rumours "no doubt arise from the coincidental introduction of 5G networks around November 2019 and the commencement of the pandemic in Wuhan, China, in December 2019."

The CTU said that persons in parts of the world, including Jamaica, have been destroying towers used by telecommunications providers.

"CTU believes that this is an unfortunate development since the telecommunications infrastructure is essential to our ability to maintain communications and business functions to sustain adequate levels of economic activity while trying to protect the public from the ravages of the CODVID-19 pandemic," the body said.