Wireless Networks

Mobile and wireless communications networks use radio signals to provide a range of voice, video and other data services to subscribers. The radio signals are transmitted between the fixed radio transmitters and mobile devices.

Note: Example for one UK location. The exposure from each radio station is calculated relative to the ICNIRP guidelines and then added together to give a total exposure quotient. In this case 23, 000 times below the ICNIRP recommendation. The contribution from each source is shown as a percentage of the total. Adapted from Neubauer et al, Study on the feasibility of Epidemiological Studies on Health Effects of Mobile Telephone Base Stations, ARC-IT--0124, March 2005.

The WHO says that recent surveys show that the RF exposures from base stations range from 0.002% to 2% of the levels of international exposure guidelines. There are many other radio sources in the community and exposures from mobile communications are comparable to broadcast radio and TV.

Globally there are more than 3 billion mobile phone connections and GSMA estimates that by 2010 global population coverage will be 90%. Analysts have reported that there were about 3.1 million base stations (or cell sites) installed worldwide at the end of 2007.