"And that's what I guess gives us the confidence today to be able to say that we really do understand this very well and we know that there aren't any problems." How did the coronavirus 5G conspiracy theory start? "This is one of the most researched physical agents in the world," he said. In areas of high demand like a city centre, the expectation is that there could be a 5G antenna on every street corner.Īnti-5G activists claim this will expose people to a "soup" of radiation from which they can't escape.īut Professor Croft said the radiation from 5G wasn't dangerous. So, for it to work there will need to be more antennas positioned closer together. But while 4G mobile phones emit signals that can travel long distances and easily pass through walls and other structures, 5G's millimetre waves won't travel as far. "The radiation that's being emitted by these devices is essentially the same as it's always been, and essentially the same as we've had around with radio, for instance, AM and FM radio for many years," he said.ĥG is just another form of radiofrequency radiation. He said with every new generation of technology, there's a new wave of concern from the public. Professor Rodney Croft is chairman of the key international body that recommends safe exposure limits for radiofrequency radiation. In June, there were protests against the Telstra installation of 5G in Mullumbimby. The viral claims have driven believers to hold protests during the pandemic and attack 5G mobile phone towers around the world, including in Australia - despite the fact that all of these theories were demonstrably false.Ĭommunications and Cyber Safety Minister Paul Fletcher said that behind some of the conspiracies may be hostile governments "who have a motive to try and create instability and disorder in democracies like Australia". One theory claimed 5G's millimetre wave technology was secretly developed by governments as a weapon to threaten and control people.Īnother conspiracy linked 5G to the emergence of COVID-19, claiming coronavirus was deliberately released so 5G could be rolled out without opposition while communities were in lockdown. The global rollout of 5G has spawned wild conspiracy theories, and the coronavirus pandemic was the perfect environment for them to spread.įour Corners has investigated these claims and examined the science around whether the technology is a threat to health.