Research programmes

Research programmes

The World Health Organization’s International EMF Project records global research into mobile devices, masts and health and prioritises research needs. We look to the WHO to review, identify and define health research needs, for example in their RF research agenda.

  • Population-based studies
  • Effects on the brain
  • Early life and children
  • Ageing and degenerative disease
  • RF exposure levels from new technologies.

Vodafone acknowledges this uncertainty and is dedicated to developing scientific understanding of the effects of mobiles on health. We fund our share of the cost of independent national, regional and international scientific research in these priority areas. We do this through national research programmes and funding organisations to ensure the research is independent of industry influence. Since 1999, we have spent over £9 million on research.

We believe research is best conducted under frameworks requiring that:

  • Researchers design and report their studies independently of third parties
  • Research is of the highest standard
  • Research is published in peer-reviewed literature.

We will consider providing information to enable the best quality research upon request.

We review all major research into mobiles and health and will update our policies and practices if one of the following bodies advises that the findings change the overall weight of scientific evidence:

  • The WHO (including the International Agency for Research on Cancer)
  • A reference review
  • A body which has previously prepared a reference review
  • An external expert review commissioned by Vodafone.

Current research programmes

We are dedicated to developing scientific understanding of the effects of mobile devices and base stations on health by funding independent scientific research into the priority areas identified by the World Health Organization (WHO). We do this through national research programmes and funding organisations such as the second phase of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR 2) in the UK, the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (DMF II), and the GSM Association, to ensure the research is independent of industry influence. We also respond to requests for technical advice from researchers.