Ololade Olabiyi

A 5G Cell Tower / by Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS via Getty Images

SUMMARY

A viral voice note on Whatsapp suggests that the government will switch on 5G in Lagos on Monday, May 11, 2020.


CONCLUSION

This is entirely false and it should be discarded. At the time of filing this report, there is no 5G in Lagos State or in Nigeria and there are no plans to deploy it yet.

FULL TEXT

The viral voice note which contains the voice of a lady warned residents of Lagos to stay indoor on Monday, may 11, 2020, stating that the deployment of 5G will commence in Lagos State and would lead to the death of many.
The lady also claimed that the deaths in Kano were caused by 5G and not COVID-19. The voice note is 2 minutes and 40 seconds long


VERIFICATION

What is 5G?

The 5G which is a sequel to the 4G network will enable instantaneous connectivity to billions of devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), and a truly connected world.
5G will provide the speed, low latency and connectivity to enable a new generation of applications, services, and business opportunities that have not been seen before.


According to Vanguard newspaper on May 6, 2020, the Senate directed the Federal Government to suspend the planned deployment of the Fifth Generation Network (5G) in Nigeria.
The Senate resolution is the sequel to a motion on the present status of 5G networks in Nigeria.

African countries like Lesotho and South Africa have started using 5G but in a limited way

According to Techpoint, 5G development is still in its infancy worldwide, hence, no exact time can be given to when 5G will come to Nigeria.

It further explains,”Though Nigeria’s National broadband plan of 2013, projected a 70% 3G/4G penetration by 2018, it could only achieve 74% 3G coverage by 2019 and 4G is only present in a handful of capital cities in the country.”.

Also, according to a number of studies, and some observations, Nigeria’s Internet speed is a far cry from what is obtainable in other countries of the world.

It is worth noting that Nigeria envisions a 90% 4G/5G penetration by 2025, but based on the outcome of previous years, we are more likely to see massive rollouts and expansion of 4G services throughout the nation.

Last year, the NCC gave permission for MTN to test the possibilities of 5G technology in three major cities — Lagos, Abuja, and Calabar. A demo that was limited to their offices in those locations, lasted for three months and has since concluded.

People’s check implores Nigerians not to be too quick to believe and send messages they receive from any social platform until they are sure of its accuracy.

If you have any information you want to verify, contact our Official WhatsApp account – 09077420450

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