Did President Putin ban 5G in Russia due to health concerns?

Claim:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned 5G mobile phone technology and destroyed existing 5G towers across Russia over concerns about the technology’s safety.

evaluation:

On August 5, 2023, Jim Ferguson, a former candidate for a seat in the British Parliament and the subject of widespread false and conspiratorial claims on social media, posted on social media X, formerly known as Twitter, I posted a message regarding the 5G situation. Russian mobile phone technology:

Ferguson cited an article purportedly from a Bangladeshi news website called dainikbidyaloy.com that he suggested Putin had “banned.”[ned] 5G throughout Russia” and “destroying”[ed] all [5G] Towers suggested that this “massive step” likely means Russia knows something negative about this technology that the West does not. 5G is a cellular technology that operates at a higher frequency band than 4G, and as a result can transmit more data.

In fact, Dainikbidyaloy.com is not a reliable source of information. This is a website that republishes content originating from Real Raw News, a massive source of disinformation.

This article, shared by Ferguson to about 1 million people, was published on Real Raw News (a site with a satirical disclaimer) on August 5, 2023, and says Putin orders an end to 5G in Russia. He also claimed to have publicly executed a technology company executive over the issue. that:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned the installation of 5G towers in the Russian Federation over concerns that the technology is medically unsafe and caused the death of a schoolchild near St. Petersburg.

His mission was not well-received by telecom executives. Borya Vlasov, vice president of 5G infrastructure at MTS, said the absence of 5G puts Russia at a technological disadvantage, adding that Russia needs 5G to strengthen its once-thriving economy. , adding that it is currently in the doldrums due to Putin’s actions in Ukraine. […]

President Putin ordered nearby security personnel to shoot Vlasov squarely between the eyes. Without hesitation, the agent drew his Makarov pistol and put a bullet into Vlasov’s forehead while 15 people watched.

Real Raw News’ “About Us” page includes a disclaimer that says, “The information on this website is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes.” and “Contains humor, parody, and satire.” I am.

Indeed, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been working to expand 5G access and narrow the technological gap created by the setbacks in Western communications technology. In a speech in June 2023, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said: President Putin reiterated his plans in the field of “technological sovereignty” and explicitly called for the creation of Russian-made 5G base stations.

Disruptions in the supply of foreign telecommunications equipment pose particular challenges, especially in the mobile sector, where Western solutions have traditionally been used.

To accelerate the transition to Russian base stations for LTE and 5G, the government and market participants have adopted a modern network development roadmap.

This includes several state support programs, including a 3.5 billion ruble subsidy for the production of necessary high-tech equipment allocated this year.

On August 6, 2023, Andrei Zalenin, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, also spoke about the advancement of 5G technology at a communications leadership conference, according to a news release from the ministry. .

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