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Section 4A: Safety 132
SAR information on this and other model phones can be viewed on-line at
www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid. To find information that pertains to a particular model
phone, this site uses the phone FCC ID number which is usually printed somewhere
on the case of the phone. (This phone’s FCC ID number: a3lspha660.)
Sometimes it may be necessary to remove the battery pack to find the number.
Once you have the FCC ID number for a particular phone, follow the instructions
on the website and it should provide values for typical or maximum SAR for a
particular phone. Additional product specific SAR information can also be obtained
at www.fcc.gov/cgb/sar.
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a series of Questions
and Answers for consumers relating to radio frequency (RF) exposure from wireless
phones. The FDA publication includes the following information:
What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term wireless phone refers here to hand-held wireless phones with built-in
antennas, often called “cell,” “mobile,” or “PCS” phones. These types of
wireless phones can expose the user to measurable radio frequency energy
(RF) because of the short distance between the phone and the user's head.
These RF exposures are limited by Federal Communications Commission safety
guidelines that were developed with the advice of FDA and other federal health
and safety agencies. When the phone is located at greater distances from the
user, the exposure to RF is drastically lower because a person's RF exposure
decreases rapidly with increasing distance from the source. The so-called
“cordless phones,” which have a base unit connected to the telephone wiring
in a house, typically operate at far lower power levels, and thus produce RF
exposures well within the FCC's compliance limits.
Do wireless phones pose a health hazard?
The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are
associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however, that
wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit low levels of radio
frequency energy (RF) in the microwave range while being used. They also
emit very low levels of RF when in the stand-by mode. Whereas high levels of
RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue), exposure to low level RF that
does not produce heating effects causes no known adverse health effects. Many
studies of low level RF exposures have not found any biological effects. Some
studies have suggested that some biological effects may occur, but such
findings have not been confirmed by additional research. In some cases, other
researchers have had difficulty in reproducing those studies, or in determining
the reasons for inconsistent results.
What is FDA's role concerning the safety of wireless phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review the safety of radiation emitting consumer
products such as wireless phones before they can be sold, as it does with new
drugs or medical devices. However, the agency has authority to take action if
wireless phones are shown to emit radio frequency energy (RF) at a level that is