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RF emissions, will not be placed against the head. On the other hand,
if the phone is mounted against the waist or other part of the body
during use, then that part of the body will absorb more RF energy.
Wireless phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet safety
requirements regardless of whether they are used against the head or
against the body. Either configuration should result in compliance
with the safety limit.
9. Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield the head
from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from
wireless phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that
claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some
products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special
phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic
accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these
products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits,
these so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the
phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate,
leading to an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002, the Federal
trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies that sold devices
that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with
making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these
defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
10. What are wireless telephone base stations?
Fixed antennas used for wireless telecommunications are referred to
as cellular base stations, cell stations, PCS ("Personal
Communications Service") stations or telephone transmission
towers. These base stations consist of antennas and electronic
equipment. Because the antennas need to be high in the air, they are
often located on towers, poles, water tanks, or rooftops. Typical
heights for freestanding base station towers are 50-200 feet.
Some base stations use antennas that look like poles, 10 to 15 feet in
length, that are referred to as "omni-directional" antennas. These
types of antennas are usually found in rural areas. In urban and
suburban areas, wireless providers now more commonly use panel
or sector antennas for their base stations. These antennas consist of
rectangular panels, about 1 by 4 feet in dimension. The antennas are
usually arranged in three groups of three antennas each. One antenna
in each group is used to transmit signals to wireless phones, and the
Section 4: Safety Guidelines and Warranty Information
4A: Safety 127