"There's no single phone in Canada that supports 5G," says the speaker in a September 20, 2023 TikTok video that also circulated on Facebook. "There's not a single carrier in Canada that supports 5G."
Text over the video says: "THE 5G SCAM ... $200 extra charging for 5G and it's not even there."
The speaker is not visible but says: "I fix phones every day." The clip shows two disassembled smartphones with empty slots where 5G chips supposedly belong. The same footage also spread on X, YouTube, BitChute, Rumble and Instagram.
Deployment of 5G -- the faster, fifth-generation mobile broadband system that makes it easier to browse, stream and transfer data -- began in 2018 in the United States and shortly after in Europe.
In Canada, Rogers Communications rolled out 5G to major cities in 2020, followed by other carriers, contrary to claims on social media.
Koen Johnson of Winnipeg told AFP the clip currently circulating stems from a segment he made for YouTube in June 2021 (archived here). AFP was able to identify Johnson by searching for the name of the repair shop mentioned in the video.
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