Sure mobile has urged the Health Minister to
complete his review of Mobile Mast Health within the “shortest
possible time period.”
The Minister for Health and Social Services has
requested that the Planning & Environment Minister withholds
all current telephone mast applications whilst a review of existing
health policies is undertaken. The Minister for Planning and
Environment has therefore decided to suspend the determination of
all mast applications to allow the Health Department reasonable
time to review the current health advice relating to mobile
telephone mast emissions.
Sure, the mobile service from Cable &
Wireless, has over 15,000 local customers. Head of PR for Sure
mobile in the Channel Islands & Isle of Man, Steve Smith said
that the latest review was understandable, but that he believed
that masts in Jersey already operate to the highest global safety
standards.
He said:
“Cable & Wireless is internationally
recognised as a responsible operator which takes public health
concerns very seriously and we comply fully with the
recommendations of the Stewart report on mobile health.”
In 1999, the British government commissioned a
group of independent scientists to look into any health threat from
mobile phones. In May 2000 the Stewart Report published its
findings that there was no evidence of adverse health effects
caused by radio wave radiation. It did though make a number of best
practice recommendations for operators. In 2004 the Advisory Group
on Non-Ionising Radiation supported the Stewart report’s
findings.
A three year study was also completed this year
by a group of independent scientists at the University of Essex,
which tested 44 people who had previously reported symptoms or
sensitivity to mobile phone technology, and 114 people who had not
reported any health effects. The results showed that the sensitive
group reported more symptoms and greater severity of symptoms, as
well as higher skin conductance (which is a good measure of
physiological response to environmental stressors), regardless of
whether the 3G signal was on or off. Hence, the range of symptoms
and physiological response did not appear to be related to the
presence of either GSM or 3G signals.
Mr Smith added: “Every mast application we make
is accompanied by a health certificate in line with the
government’s current policy. We have a duty of care to islanders
and our engineers which we take extremely seriously and operate all
base stations considerably below the guidelines of the
International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation.”
Cable and Wireless has passed OFCOM audits of
its mast emission levels in both Guernsey (2005) and the Isle of
Man (2007). The UK’s communications regulator found that the radio
masts checked in Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and the Isle of Man fell
well within the safety standards established by the International
Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection.
Mr Smith said:
“Health concerns are extremely important, but
time and again the evidence has pointed to the fact that mobile
masts have no adverse health effects. At the same time I’d ask for
the Health Minister to consider the desire of mobile users to let
the operators enhance their network coverage across the
island.”