It’s the five-year anniversary of 5G, a mobile network that has been filled with controversy. 5G is the 5th generation of mobile networks; we use it to connect virtually to the internet and it is currently the fastest connection available. However, this advancement in connection has been met with a lot of controversy and setbacks.
One of these was the Covid-19 pandemic, which, for a long time, was at the centre of these conspiracies. Many people online claimed that Covid was either transmitting the disease or weakening people’s immune systems. However, there is no scientific evidence to back this claim up. Despite this theory being disputed, many still remain wary.
However, the problems people have with 5G are not just a thing of the past. Recently in Wolverhampton, campaigners have been fighting against a plan to construct a 5G mast in the local South Staffordshire Golf Club, saying that it would disrupt the lives of residents living there. Many other campaigns such as these two have sparked up around the country in the last five years.
the problems people have with 5G are not just a thing of the past.
Despite these protests, 5G has been successfully installed in many parts of the country and many people have had access to this network for years. However, more rural areas are still left unconnected and plans for when they will be connected are unclear. There are current plans to introduce 5G to the Channel Islands in about 18 months. However, looking more locally, we can see that many parts of Devon and Cornwall remain unconnected. Devon Comms say that they are installing 5G in areas such as Exeter, Plymouth, Totnes and parts of Torbay, which leaves most of the county unconnected. Additionally, 5G connection is only available under a few providers in Devon and Cornwall. In Exeter you can only access 5g on EE and Three, while customers of companies like O2 and Virgin still don’t have access.
We are slowly moving to becoming connected to 5G but it looks like the entire country won’t be connected for many years to come, especially as the campaigners against 5G are only going to make its rollout even slower.
