Individuals with intent to thwart India’s progress are actively spreading rumours and misinformation, linking fifth generation (5G) with contagious COVID-19 pandemic, a Delhi-based telco group said.

“A few people with dangerous motives and intent to derail India’s progress by actively spreading rumours and misinformation, linking 5G and COVID-19,” director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) SP Kochhar said, adding that the country is set to enter into a new era in telecom and new-age technologies, spurred by next generation of network.

COAI represents Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea that are likely to start field trials with their preferred technology vendors following a recent go-ahead by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

“We have apprised the DoT and the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) of the situation and urged them to take strict action against those instigating people to damage India’s telecom infrastructure,” Kochhar said.

Several telecom towers and base transceiver stations (BTS) were vandalised following widespread rumours linking 5G radiations to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by COVID-19 or Coronavirus that was first reported in China’s Wuhan in late 2019.

The lobby group, however, rubbished radiation concerns saying the permitted limit in India remained one-tenth of the levels prescribed worldwide.

Friday, the Delhi High Court dismissed actress-turned activist Juhi Chawla’s lawsuit challenging the 5G networks rollout in the country, citing that the plaint was “not based on any special damage” suffered by plaintiff by electromagnetic radiation by cellular technology, and imposing a fine of Rs 20 lakh(US$ 27,444.68), observed that the petition was filed for publicity.

The telco group was one of the defendants in the case.

“India’s telecom infrastructure contributes towards the economy and keeps us connected. As responsible citizens we need to ensure that it does not fall prey to damage by unscrupulous people,” Kochhar added.