Mobile Base Stations and Health

recommended by the World Health Organization For many of us, mobile phones are an essential (WHO). part of everyday life. It’s the most convenient way to stay connected to people and online information. What about the increase in wireless laptops and other devices? Does that change the safety In order to work, our phones and wireless of a base station? broadband devices connect to a network of mobile As technology evolves and equipment is updated, base stations. You can see antennas and base the fundamental safety regulations must still be station equipment in many different places, met. So, as we saw analogue technology make including building rooftops, roadside poles, and at way for 2G, 3G and now 4th Generation mobile community facilities. technologies such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), and other high speed data technologies emerging, The mobile phone carriers (Telstra, Optus and the safety requirements stay the same – the Vodafone Hutchison Australia) are responsible for installing and upgrading their base station Standard is relevant for the radio frequency range networks. that phones and other devices use, regardless of the technology. These are some of the answers to questions that are frequently asked about mobile networks and What about the effect on children? safety. The safety standard is set at a level that protects everyone, including children and the elderly. I have heard there’s a new base station proposed in my suburb. Are they safe? What do the experts say? Like many other things, base stations are subject to The WHO has a number of fact sheets about a safety standard regulated by the Australian mobile phones and health available on their Federal Government. The regulations cover lots of website. In the “Base Stations and Wireless radio services including AM and FM radio, police, Networks” fact sheet, the WHO states “Considering fire and ambulance communications as well as the very low exposure levels and research results mobile phones, wireless devices and mobile base collected to date, there is no convincing scientific stations. Mobile base stations must comply with evidence that the weak radio frequency (RF) these regulations and information on the signals from base stations and wireless networks compliance and emission levels can be found on cause adverse health effects”. the national site database at www.rfnsa.com.au for http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/e each site. n/index.html

Who sets the safety standard? Similarly ARPANSA’s latest factsheet updated in A government organisation called ARPANSA 2012 “Mobile Telephone Communications (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Antennas and Health Effects” concludes that “No Safety Agency) set the safety standard after careful adverse health effects are expected from analysis of national and international scientific continuous exposure to the RF radiation emitted by studies. The standard is based on guidelines Revised April 2013 the antennas on www.ar mobile telephone base pansa.gov.au station towers”.  World Health http://www.arpansa.go Organization: v.au/radiationprotectio http://www.wh n/factsheets/is_antenn o.int/peh-emf/en/ a.cfm Additional information Where can I get can be obtained from: more information?  Mobile Independent Carriers Forum information can be Ph: (02) obtained from: 6295 8191 www.m  Australi cf.amta.org.au an Radiation  EMF Protection and Explained web Nuclear Safety site Agency www.e (ARPANSA) mfexplained.info Ph: 03 9433 2211