Back in November of 2019, Sioux Falls got word that it would be one of just 18 cities nationwide to offer limited 5G service for cell phone users, offering upload speeds that are up to 30 percent faster than current 4G LTE service.

Needless to say, the world is a much different place since then.

Perhaps the biggest change on the 5G front over the past six months has been a bizarre conspiracy theory that has some convinced that the towers that transmit the signal are helping to spread Coronavirus (COVID-19). That belief has gotten some serious traction in Great Britain, where 77 towers have been vandalized or burned to the ground by 5G deniers.

Back in this country, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Ten Haken continues to be a big cheerleader for the new technology.

In his annual State of the City address this week, Ten Haken included remarks about the city's involvement with the 5G rollout and he later took to Twitter to share a 15-point post from Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr, using a series of scientific studies to debunk the myths surrounding the alleged 5G/COVID-19 connection.

In particular, the Mayor singled out this summary of the 'controversy' by Carr:

'The 5G hoax is even being spread by state actors, including Russia because it is falling behind in building out this platform, which is key for economic and national security. So congrats to those that are buying in to this fake news. You’ve been punked by Russia.'


South Dakota's largest city is now one of 35 cities offering limited service of Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband. Here, it's concentrated around landmarks like Levitt at the Falls, the Orpheum Theatre, the Washington Pavilion, the State Theatre, and the US Federal Courthouse.

So far only 5G compatible devices, like Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G or LG's ThinQ 5G, will work on the network. Apple is expected to unveil 5G compatible iPhones later this year.


New York City 2019

 

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