A telecommunications mast was set on fire this week in the Polish city of Łódź. The incident follows the rollout of Poland’s first commercial 5G network earlier this month, with Łódź being one of the seven cities where the service was made available.
In response, the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications (PIIT), an industry body, has called for misinformation about 5G, which has proliferated during the coronavirus pandemic, to be tackled and vandals prosecuted, reports RMF24.
On Monday, an image was posted on Twitter which depicted a mast on fire, along with a caption referring to previous acts of vandalism against 5G transmitters in Britain and the Netherlands. The fire caused users living near the mask to have issues with network coverage, according to Wirtualna Polska.
Mobile operator Play has not confirmed reports that the mast belongs to them and serves its 5G network. But it did publish a statement saying that “such acts bear the hallmarks of criminal activity”. Both it and PIIT have warned that cases of vandalism are rising, and are encouraged by misinformation about 5G online
Mają Brytyjczycy, Holendrzy mamy i my. Zaczęło się i u nas podpalanie. pic.twitter.com/Cq88EBpT0q
— APG (@apg_pl) May 25, 2020
There have been attacks on operators’ base stations in recent days, says PIIT. An attempt to set fire to a T-Mobile mast was made in Kraków a few months ago.
“We are witnessing a wave of aggression directed against critical infrastructure,” said PIIT in a statement. “The perpetrators of these crimes cannot go unpunished, and all parties responsible for the security and economic development of the country should strengthen their efforts to break the chain of aggression and unlawful activities.”
PIIT also warned of a “growing wave of false information” online, and appealed to state authorities and social media platforms to crackdown on conspiracy theories about 5G. They claimed that the spread of such rumours “acts to the detriment of the Polish state and its security.”
The sentiments were echoed in a statement by Play, Poland’s biggest mobile operator, which said the attacks appeared to be “aimed at the security of the state and citizens”:
The significance [of telecommunications] is particularly important in critical situations, such as the state of natural disaster or the epidemic state that we are currently experiencing. Efficient telecommunications infrastructure is essential in reporting accidents and events which threaten the health and life of all people in Poland. [Such} attacks are the same crime as destroying railways or energy infrastructure.
Like other countries, Poland has seen 5G conspiracy theories given greater prominence during the coronavirus pandemic. Proponents of them were prominent at recent protests in Warsaw against the government’s lockdown measures.
Some activists encouraged the public to destroy 5G antennae, claiming inspiration from recent acts of vandalism and arson against telecommunications transmitters in other European countries.
To chyba ten materiał był w #wtylewizji o foliarzach 5G na #strajkprzedsiębiorców XDDD #szury #5G #foliarstwo pic.twitter.com/Q1wa9Pca2T
— Helmut🇵🇱 (@helmut_pl) May 9, 2020
As well as claims that that 5G can damage health, some concerns stem from the fact that Polish telecommunications infrastructure has been heavily reliant on Chinese provider Huawei due to its low prices, with the company’s equipment previously used by Polish operators in 5G trials.
Play has previously suggested that a complete ban on Huawei could raise prices and limit technological development, telling Reuters that they had not found any security issues with the equipment.
Politicians have also tried to debunk conspiracy theories about 5G. Speaking to RMF last year, deputy minister of digital affairs Wanda Buk said that there is no more reason to fear 5G than the 4G technology currently in use. She also reassured that Huawei was just one of a number of firms involved in Poland’s 5G rollout
This month, digital affairs minister Marek Zagórski added that 5G was necessary to provide continued access to online services as the digital world continues to grow, reports Polskie Radio.
Main image credit: APG_PL/Twitter
Juliette Bretan is a freelance journalist covering Polish and Eastern European current affairs and culture. Her work has featured on the BBC World Service, and in CityMetric, The Independent, Ozy, New Eastern Europe and Culture.pl.
