TheCable

Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the fifth-generation (5G) networks is safe and necessary for the country’s social transformation. 

Danbatta spoke on Monday when he appeared before the national assembly joint committee on communications to defend the commission’s 2022 budget.

In September, the federal executive council (FEC) authorised the National Policy on 5G networks for the country’s digital economy.

The 5G technology had been rumoured to have harmful effects on humans, but Danbatta said the technology is safe without any health implications.

The executive vice-chairman also said that telecommunication networks across the country are safe against cyber-attacks.

“Recently, not more than a month ago, the commission unveiled its computer incidence response team which is to offer protection from cyber attacks against the communication networks,” he said.

“We are very proud to bring this information to the knowledge of the public that the telecommunication networks all over the country are secured from cyber attacks.

“As for the concerns of Nigerians about 5G, we share these concerns, and we want to explain that whereas these concerns are justified, the fact on the ground does not give credence to this concern.

“We have tried to sensitise Nigerians about the safety of the network, the 5G technology. We have sensitised Nigerians even about the spectrum. The 5G spectrum is non-ironising; this is a categorical statement made by the international commission for non-ironising radiation protection, where they said the 5G spectrum is perfectly safe.

“It is not harmful to human beings, there is no medical evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicating any correlation between this spectrum and the health of citizens. We will continue to sensitise the citizens to embrace this technology because it is good for the country, it is good for our social transformation.”