MOBILE PHONE SAFETY ISSUES

All cellular telephones are designed in accordance with the safety guidelines set by the UK National Radiological Protection Board. These guidelines provide ample protection against known health risk.

The industry is committed to being responsive to the public about questions related to the safety of its products.

The UK radiotelephone industry supports an active agenda of research to enhance understanding of the potential interactive effects of RF energy.

Position
Substantial research supports the conclusion that the radio signals emitted by mobile communication equipment present no health risk.

Periodic review by numerous government agencies, international health organizations and scientific bodies support the observation that the radio signals from cellular telephones and other portable communications devices pose no health risk.

Electromagnetic energy has been the subject of intensive study for more than half a century. The wireless industry supports efforts to expand the scientific knowledge in this field - both through its own research work and through co-operation with leading scientists and organisations around.

The scientific consensus drawn from the weight of evidence accumulated over many years is clear: There is no evidence that the radio signals generated by cellular telephones, cellular telephone antenna sites or other portable communications devices pose a health hazard.

SAFETY STANDARDS

Cellular telephones are subject to internationally recognised standards that establish safe levels of human exposure to RF energy. No adverse effects are known to occur at the power levels of cellular telephones or other portable communicatiions devices operating in accordance with recognised standards.

Standard setting is a dynamic process. Standard-setting bodies, government agencies and health authorities periodically review what science knows with the aim of revising the existing exposure guidelines if and when warranted by changes in the body of scientific knowledge.

For years, the basic consensus on safe levels of RF exposure has been unchanged. This was reaffirmed in April 1996 by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), an independent commission that advises the World Health Organisation and national governments.

After a comprehensive evaluation of the research related to possible RF bioeffects, ICNIRP concluded that "there is no substantive evidence that adverse health effects, including cancer, can occur in people exposed to levels at or below the limits" prescribed by ICNIRP, which are similar or identical to those recommended by other standard-setting bodies around the world.

In the United Kingdom, the NRPB agreed that "on the basis of current safety standards for radiofrequency radiation, the use of such hand-held radio telephones does not present a health hazard."

CONCLUSION

Studies confirm that the typical radio signals from cellular telephones and other wireless communications technologies are within accepted safety standards. These safety guidelines are based on a scientific consensus on the exposure threshold below which there is no evidence of health risks from human exposure to RF energy. The compliance with these standards provides a sound basis for confidence that cellular phones are safe.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

National Radiological Protection Board -- Didcot, United Kingdom
+44 1235 831 600

World Health Organisation - Geneva, Switzerland
+41 22 791 3760

International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection - Munich, Germany +49 89 31 60 32 37

Forschungsgemeinschaft Funk -- Bonn, Germany
+ 49 228 72 62 20