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| - Fact Check: Conspiracy theory on bird flu linking bird deaths to Jio 5G trial goes viral
Several social media users have alleged that the recent deaths of birds reported from across the country are the result of 5G tests conducted by Reliance Jio and not a bird flu outbreak.
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India Today Fact Check
The Centre has so far not approved 5G trials in India; Reliance Jio has also denied it. There has been an outbreak of avian influenza in several states. However, the impact of radiation on birds is a subject of research worldwide.
Amid the bird flu scare in the country, a viral message on social media claims that birds are actually dying due to 5G tests conducted by Reliance Jio and people are being misled to believe that bird flu is spreading in India.
Several Twitter and Facebook users have posted a message in Hindi which translates to, "Birds are dying due to Jio 5G testing in India and people are being fed lies that bird flu is spreading."
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the Centre has so far not approved 5G trials in India. Reliance Jio has also denied conducting 5G tests. There has been an outbreak of avian influenza in several states leading to bird deaths and state governments halting the import of chicken. However, the impact of radiation on birds is a subject of research worldwide.
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Status of 5G tests in India
Till date, the Union government has not permitted any telecom entity to test 5G technology in India. Union IT and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recently said that the much-awaited trials for 5G technology will commence soon.
In February 2019, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), while releasing a white paper on "Enabling 5G in India", said the forum envisages 5G to be launched in India by 2020 along with the rest of the world.
But as per news report, India is lagging in the race for 5G.
While the Indian government is still mulling 5G trials, countries such as China, South Korea and the United States have raced ahead in 5G deployments and telecom companies here are still looking for clarity on 5G auction from the government.
Reliance Jio and 5G trial
India Today reached out to a Reliance spokesperson on the viral claim regarding Jio's 5G trial. The Reliance spokesperson categorically denied the viral claim and called it "fake news". According to the spokesperson, "When the government itself has not yet given a nod for any trial, where is the question of 5G trial for Jio!"
In December 2020, Reliance Jio had said it plans to roll out 5G services in the second half of 2021.
"Jio will pioneer the 5G revolution in India in the second half of 2021."
- Mukesh D. Ambani
One more reason to look forward to the new year . #JioAtIMC #Jio5GInternet #IMC2020Virtual #DigitalIndia #JioDigitalLife #5G @exploreIMC— Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) December 10, 2020
Reliance Jio is working in partnership with US-based Qualcomm in developing 5G technologies. As per reports, leveraging Qualcomm's technological prowess, Jio has indigenously developed a 5G product, which has already been tested in the US. But no such test has been conducted in India so far, confirmed Reliance.
Does bird flu have any connection with 5G?
In 2018, a conspiracy theory emanated from a blog that claimed: "the test of a 5G cellular network is the cause of unexplained bird deaths occurring in a park in The Hague, Netherlands".
But international fact-check website "Snopes" debunked the theory and found it to be a hoax created by conspiracy websites and social media platforms.
Several pieces of research on the effect of cellular network radiation on birds have been conducted worldwide, but there is no clear answer to this.
Ananda Banerjee, an ornithologist and author of the book "Common Birds of the Indian Subcontinent", says that "though cellular network radiation has always remained a concern worldwide for birds and the animal world, it cannot be pinpointed as the main reason for sudden bird deaths".
Bird flu in India
While the viral claim doubted if birds in India are dying recently due to bird flu, the Union government's department of animal husbandry and dairying confirmed that there has been a sudden outbreak of Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, in some parts of the country.
Calling it a common phenomenon during the winter due to migratory birds, the government has appealed to the public not to panic.
Hence, we can conclude that the viral message saying bird flu is a rumour to mislead people and the actual reason behind bird deaths is 5G testing by Jio is not true. In fact, 5G testing has not even begun in India as it is still awaiting Centre's nod. On the other hand, the sudden outbreak of avian flu in some parts of the country has been confirmed by the Union government.
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