UTStarcom PN-820 User Manual

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The Project has also helped develop a series of public information documents on EMF 

issues. FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) have 

a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to do research 

on wireless phone safety. FDA provides the scientific oversight, obtaining input from 

experts in government, industry, and academic organizations. CTIA-funded research is 

conducted through contracts to independent investigators. The initial research will include 

both laboratory studies and studies of wireless phone users. The CRADA will also include 

a broad assessment of additional research needs in the context of the latest research 

developments around the world.

All phones sold in the United States must comply with Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) guidelines that limit radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures. FCC 

established these guidelines in consultation with FDA and the other federal health and 

safety agencies. The FCC limit for RF exposure from wireless telephones is set at a 

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC limit is 

consistent with the safety standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic 

Engineering (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement. 

The exposure limit takes into consideration the body’s ability to remove heat from the 

tissues that absorb energy from the wireless phone and is set well below levels known 

to have effects. Manufacturers of wireless phones must report the RF exposure level for 

each model of phone to the FCC. The FCC website (http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety) gives 

directions for locating the FCC identification number on your phone so you can find your 

phone’s RF exposure level in the online listing.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is developing a technical 

standard for measuring the radiofrequency energy (RF) exposure from wireless phones 

and other wireless handsets with the participation and leadership of FDA scientists and 

engineers. The standard, “Recommended Practice for Determining the Spatial-Peak 

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the Human Body Due to Wireless Communications 

Devices: Experimental Techniques,” sets forth the first consistent test methodology for 

measuring the rate at which RF is deposited in the heads of wireless phone users. The 

test method uses a tissue-simulating model of the human head. Standardized SAR test 

methodology is expected to greatly improve the consistency of measurements made 

at different laboratories on the same phone. SAR is the measurement of the amount 

of energy absorbed in tissue, either by the whole body or a small part of the body. It is 

measured in watts/kg (or milliwatts/g) of matter. This measurement is used to determine

whether a wireless phone complies with safety guidelines. 

If there is a risk from these products – and at this point we do not know that there is – it is 

probably very small. But if you are concerned about avoiding even potential risks, you can 

take a few simple steps to minimize your exposure to radiofrequency energy (RF). Since 

time is a key factor in how much exposure a person receives, reducing the amount of time 

spent using a wireless phone will reduce RF exposure.
*   If you must conduct extended conversations by wireless phone every day, you could 

place more distance between your body and the source of the RF, since the exposure 

level drops off dramatically with distance. For example, you could use a headset and 

carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a 

remote antenna.

Again, the scientific data do not demonstrate that wireless phones are harmful. But if you 

are concerned about the RF exposure from these products, you can use measures like 

those described above to reduce your RF exposure from wireless phone use. 

FDA CONSUMER UPDATE

FDA CONSUMER UPDATE