[ad_1]
Vandalism of a cell phone tower in Northland is believed to be related to an online hoax linking 5G phone networks to the coronavirus.
In late March, arson caused damage to a 4G tower on private farmland in Waiharara, which was built as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative, an initiative to bring 4G wireless and mobile broadband to rural areas. from New Zealand.
Robert Rough
A 4G cell phone tower built in the far north has been destroyed (file photo).
Geoff Thorn, director of the Telecommunications Forum (TCF), which represents major telecommunications companies, said “intentional damage” had occurred in several towers across the country in recent months.
“It is causing disruptions when the industry is responding to increased demand for phone and internet services during the blockade.
READ MORE:
* Cell tower ‘paused’ but Spark doesn’t rule it out
* Coromandel protesters create blockade at cell tower sites
* Residents want the 15m cell tower to move, because it’s a ‘monstrosity
“We condemn all acts of vandalism, but it is even more frustrating to deal with an attack on critical national infrastructure during a time of national emergency.”
Thorn said that if cell phone towers were damaged and could not function, people would not only lose access to the Internet, there was a possibility that 111 calls could not go through.
“The people responsible for these criminal acts are putting New Zealand’s lives at risk at a time when the country is making sacrifices to rid our communities of a deadly virus.”
“If someone sees suspicious behavior near a cell site, they are asked to report this to the police.”
Thorn said damage to cell towers in other countries had been linked to anti-5G protesters. He believed that the sabotage could be related to a bogus but popular conspiracy theory that attempts to link the spread of Covid-19 with the launch of 5G technology.
“There has been a thorough and ongoing investigation into this issue and there is no evidence that 5G causes harm. The Prime Minister even pointed out that there was no link between 5G and Covid-19.”
Georgia May Gilbertson
Protest signs against the installation of a Spark 5G tower in Wellington (file photo).
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked about the conspiracy circulating last Wednesday and she did not even want to justify it with an answer, but decided to send a clear and direct message to all New Zealanders.
“That’s not true … I can’t say it clearly enough … it’s just not true.”
A Spark spokeswoman confirmed that the company was working with police regarding threats made at some cell sites across the country.
“Since the end of March, there have been acts of vandalism, including attempted arson attacks on some of our cell towers. While the damage was quite insignificant, one event caused a disruption to wireless and mobile broadband services in the surrounding area The incidents have all been reported to the police they are investigating, and we are working to monitor the sites and protect our people.
“We share outrage from the industry at large over vandalism against critical infrastructure during a pandemic, a time when connectivity is more important than ever.”
In New Zealand, an influencer posed with a gun on Instagram to encourage kiwis to join in and asked if they were prepared to give up their freedom. The post included the hashtag # 5Gvirus.
The Samoan government has even had to step in to protect critical telecommunications lines from people affected by false information, even though the island is not equipped with the technology.
