#5GCheckTheFacts: How Mobile UK is informing and educating the public about 5G
Mobile UK's #5GCheckTheFacts campaign seeks to counter the misinformation surrounding 5G technology | Credit: Alamy
To bring the public onboard with 5G technology, it is vital that discourse is focused on the facts.
#5GCheckTheFacts is a public information campaign created by Mobile UK to highlight the benefits of this game-changing technology and to inform, educate, and dispel the myths surrounding the next generation mobile network, 5G.
During the pandemic, conspiracy theories and misinformation wrongly linked 5G to the COVID-19 outbreak. This spread of false information and misunderstanding about how 5G works resulted in more than 160 arson attacks on mobile infrastructure and over 300 physical and verbal attacks on staff.
To address these misunderstandings, and to provide accurate information and education around 5G, the #5GCheckTheFacts campaign has been built on a nationwide survey and research into the British public’s views on 5G and health.
The research findings indicated that despite the rise of non-factual reports and conspiracy theories stating that 5G poses a danger to health, only a very small minority were firmly against 5G (3%). Only 7% believed the unsubstantiated claims that 5G causes cancer or think it could be bad for their health (16%).
These results highlighted a strong need for the provision of concise information about 5G, with 46% of respondents stating they are unclear whether 5G does or does not pose a health risk, and nearly half of those questioned were uncertain of the benefits of this new technology. In line with these findings Mobile UK has ensured throughout all content in the campaign, technical jargon is either broken down or explained to ease understanding for the public.
Based on this research, Mobile UK launched a range of easily understood, technical jargon-free content to provide explanations and reassurances, as well as highlighting the benefits and opportunities 5G will bring.
We truly believe that 5G is a benefit offering significant positive changes to us all as well as providing connectivity that will make our lives easier
The industry body has also released a series of mini packs that highlights the key benefits that 5G technology will offer popular industries including the manufacturing, healthcare and automotive industries. Each mini pack includes a selection of case study examples that illustrate what 5G is and will offer each industry.
As well as offering information packs for the public, Mobile UK have made sure that they are providing local authorities with the accurate information to ensure questions from residents related to 5G are correctly answered. A Local Authority Toolkit was launched for councillors and officers to use as required, to help explain the exciting new 5G technology to constituents.
Is 5G safe? What about radiation? What about masts? Are common questions that tend to float around the discourse surrounding 5G. Mobile UK recently launched a campaign video which saw its head of policy and communications, Gareth Elliott, address and answer these questions and provide the scientific facts.
Since the launch of the #5GCheckTheFacts campaign, Mobile UK have continued to release weekly news pieces. These range from guest blogs from renowned professionals, case studies that expand upon the industries explored in the mini pack series and more.
Commenting on the initiative, Hamish MacLeod, director of Mobile UK said: “While it is clear that only a small minority of people are against 5G, these results highlight a desire for more information and clarification, both in regard to the health and safety of 5G, but also on how the technology can, and will, truly transform society.
“Our #5GCheckTheFacts campaign is designed to provide this information and answers to people's most common questions. We truly believe that 5G is a benefit offering significant positive changes to us all as well as providing connectivity that will make our lives easier and, in some cases, save lives.”
For more information regarding 5G and health visit www.mobileuk.org, follow @MobileUK_News on Twitter or Mobile UK on LinkedIn.
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