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A mobile phone pole serving the NHS Nightingale Emergency Hospital in Birmingham is one of the latest targets of arsonists to mistakenly believe that 5G technology is linked to the spread of the coronavirus.
Nick Jeffery, CEO of Vodafone UK, revealed that a mast providing connectivity to the hospital was attacked over the weekend, totaling more than 40 across the country.
“It is heartbreaking enough that families cannot be at the bedside of loved ones who are seriously ill,” Jeffery said in a LinkedIn post. “It is even more annoying that even the small consolation of a phone call or video call can now be denied because of the selfish actions of some deceived conspiracy theorists.”
In many cases, mobile networks say, the attacked sites do not yet have 5G technology installed.
West Yorkshire police are investigating a fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday and involved a telephone pole connected to a residential building in Huddersfield.
In another incident in Dagenham, east London, two 19-year-old men and an 18-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of arson after police were called early Tuesday morning. The two incidents involved 10 fire trucks.
Jeffery, who said that 20 of Vodafone’s masts have now been attacked, added: “Burning the masts means damaging important national infrastructure. In practice, this means that families cannot say goodbye to their loved ones; doctors, Hard-working nurses and police officers cannot telephone their children, partners, or parents for a comforting conversation. “
Philip Jansen, CEO of BT, owner of mobile phone operator EE, said 39 of the company’s engineers had been physically or verbally assaulted by members of the public who mistakenly believed that 5G triggered the coronavirus. Some staff members have received death threats, he said.
False theories linking 5G to the coronavirus have spread rapidly, with the help of WhatsApp and Facebook groups, putting the government and mobile companies in the background. The situation has not been favored by some high-profile figures who feed the spread of misinformation to the mainstream, such as Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, who tweeted a link to a petition on the theory.
On Tuesday, media regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into comments made by Eamonn Holmes on ITV’s This Morning after receiving hundreds of complaints that it seemed to suggest that people should not be quick to rule out a possible link between the pandemic and the new technology.
Like BT’s Jansen, Jeffery called for the attacks to stop. “Pyromaniacs, please think about what you are doing and stop,” he said. Imagine if it were your mom or dad, your grandfather or grandfather in the hospital. Imagine not being able to see or hear them for the last time. All because you have swallowed a dangerous lie. There is absolutely no link between 5G and coronavirus. There is no scientific evidence based that 5G is harmful to human health. “
