5G INTRODUCTION IN NORTH MACEDONIA IS NOT BEING DONE COVERTLY WHILE WE ARE FIGHTING THE CORONAVIRUS

These days, we often witness a lot of disinformation being shared through social media. They describe a covert operation to install 5G antennas during the ongoing activities for fighting the coronavirus from spreading. This is not true. There is no scenario for the covert installation of the 5G network in North Macedonia.

In the latest disinformation wave, it is pointed out that the situation with the coronavirus is being used in order to install the 5G network. The narrative regarding a false activity to install 5G antennas is supported by photos posted by individuals in social network groups.

Source: Facebook

It is being shared through social networks that 5G antennas are covertly installed in some places, and the police hour is being used for that.

Source: Facebook

The regulator that will carry out the installation of the 5G network in North Macedonia is the Agency for Electronic Communications. No one can undertake individual action without permission from AEK.

The National operational broadband plan for access to faster and better internet services in accordance with the standards of the EU was adopted on a government session in 2019. According to the plan, it has been established that till the end of 2023, at least one city will be covered by 5G signal, and by the end of 2025 the main corridors in accordance with the agreement on the establishment of a transport community on the basic and comprehensive road network in the country will have to be covered by an uninterrupted 5G signal.

The National operational broadband plan states that by the end of 2027 all cities in the country will be covered by an uninterrupted 5G signal and that by the end of 2029 every citizen of our country will have the opportunity to access the Internet via 5G with a minimum speed of Internet access of at least 100 Mbps.

In the previous period, AEK conducted measurements of non-ionizing radiation, in order to see the contribution of the new 5G NR technology from the test network of Makedonski Telekom. During the measurement period, two stations were active, one on the building of Makedonski Telekom, and the other on the building of TK Centar. The measuring point was in front of the AEK building distanced 160 meters from the first base station. The results of the conducted research, were announced by AEK on 18.12.2019 and are available at the following link.

“There is no room for concern about the harmful effects of radiation of new technologies in electronic communications, as well as the future application of 5G technology,” said Sasho Dimitrijoski, director of the Agency for Electronic Communications-AEK, during a presentation of the research results.

The installation of 5G antennas cannot be done in secret. In order to do that, a tender must be published by AEK.

According to the information, AEK will announce the tenders for the 5G spectra by the end of the year. In the meantime, the deadline for submitting opinions and remarks to AEK by interested parties for the issuance of an approval for the use of radio frequencies for 5G technology has been extended until April 20. The extension of the deadline according to AEK was done due to the submitted requests for extension by the two mobile network operators. Makedonski Telekom requested an extended deadline for opinions and remarks until April 15, and A1 Macedonia, on the other hand, until April 20.