BY THOMAS SEAL AND BLOOMBERG<\/p>\n
Telecom masts that enable the next generation of wireless communication were set on fire in the U.K. in recent days, apparently by people motivated by a theory that the tech helps spread the coronavirus. Investors are taking note.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost will laugh at this scientifically unproven claim, but we should not underestimate public worry about potentially adverse health impacts of 5G due to radiation, and thus a possible drag on the\u00a05G progress in democratic countries<\/a>,\u201d analysts led by Edison Lee at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. said in a note on Sunday.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s absolutely no evidence to support the idea that\u00a05G technology<\/a>\u00a0contributes to Covid-19\u2019s spread, the conspiracy is being shared widely on social media. Mast fires were reported in\u00a0Belfast<\/a>,\u00a0Liverpool<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Birmingham<\/a>, according to local media. A\u00a0video<\/a>\u00a0of a telecom tower on fire was circulated on a Birmingham community webpage, and Facebook removed a group which encouraged users to share footage of equipment being destroyed, the Guardian\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0Friday.<\/p>\n 5G is being rolled out by all four U.K. mobile carriers: BT Group Plc, Vodafone Group Plc, Telefonica SA\u2019s O2, and CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.\u2019s Three U.K. Counter-terrorism police are investigating,\u00a0according<\/a>\u00a0to Vodafone U.K.\u2019s chief executive officer, Nick Jeffery.<\/p>\n The incidents prompted the networks to denounce the acts in a joint\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday, while Britain\u2019s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport\u00a0tweeted<\/a> that criminal acts inspired by \u201ccrackpot conspiracy theories circulating online\u201d will \u201cface the full force of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n We have received several reports of criminal damage to phone masts and abuse of telecoms engineers apparently inspired by crackpot conspiracy theories circulating online. Those responsible for criminal acts will face the full force of the law. — Department for Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) April 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
The facts \u2b07\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/QWYcc4bOEg<\/a><\/p>\n