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Mobile phones use radio frequency (RF) fields to send and receive calls and data. These RF signals are transmitted to the nearest base station, which connects the mobile user to the telephone network. Many other everyday items also generate RF fields, including TVs, radios and baby monitors.
Some people are concerned that exposure to RF could have an impact on health. All our mobile phones and base stations are designed to operate within the guidelines for exposure to RF fields set by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In fact, exposure to RF from our base stations is typically hundreds – or even many thousands – of times lower than the guideline levels, which already include a safety margin.
In 2011, an expert group from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialist agency within the World Health Organization (WHO), completed a cancer hazard assessment for RF. It classified RF as ‘Group 2B’ – possibly carcinogenic to humans. Other substances in this category include bracken fern, pickled vegetables, coffee and talcum powder.
The assessment looked at whether exposure to RF has the potential to cause cancer under certain circumstances. It is not the role of IARC to quantify the chances of cancer developing when associated with normal usage or exposure. It’s the responsibility of national governments and public agencies to determine whether there is a risk at current levels of exposure to RF, but the scientific consensus is still reassuring.
Over the past decade, more than 30 independent expert reviews undertaken around the world, including by the WHO, have found no adverse health effects caused by mobile phones or radio base stations operating within international safety guidelines.
We want our customers to have clear information so they can make an informed choice. If you are concerned about the health effects of mobile phones, you might find information from the WHO helpful. The WHO has offered guidance for people who want to limit their exposure to RF from mobile phones. For example, you might wish to use a hands-free device or limit the number or length of calls. Using your phone in areas of good reception where there is a phone mast nearby also decreases exposure because the phone needs less power to transmit calls.
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