Radio Frequency and Health
Mobile phones work on the same principle as television and radio
by using radio frequency (RF) fields to communicate information. A
mobile phone network requires base stations to connect calls to all
our customers’ handsets.
When a person is exposed to an RF field from a mobile phone it
penetrates a few centimetres into the body and is absorbed as heat.
This is measured using specific absorption rate (SAR) values.
The International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP) public exposure guidelines provide safety limits for RF
fields from handsets and base stations.
We always conform to and in many cases exceed the
recommendations made by ICNIRP, the National Radiological
Protection Board (NRPB) and the Stewart report. Current
research indicates that exposure to RF below the limits set by
ICNIRP and other agencies has no adverse health effects.