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Do wireless phones pose a health hazard – Sanyo MM-5600 User Manual

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Section 4A: Safety Guidelines

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be brought to the FCC’s attention by contacting the FCC RF Safety Program at:

202-418-2464 or by email: [email protected].

Does the FCC maintain a database that includes information on the location
and technical parameters of all the transmitting towers it regulates?

Each of the FCC Bureaus maintains its own licensing database system for the

service(s) it regulates (e.g., television, cellular service, satellite earth stations.)

The FCC issues two types of licenses: site specific and market based. In the case

of site specific licensed facilities, technical operating information is collected

from the licensee as part of the licensing process. However, in the case of

market based licensing (e.g., PCS, cellular), the licensee is granted the authority

to operate a radio communications system in a geographic area using as many

facilities as are required, and the licensee is not required to provide the FCC with

specific location and operating parameters of these facilities.

Information on site specific licensed facilities can be found the “General Menu

Reports” (GenMen) at http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/genmen/index.hts.

The various FCC Bureaus also publish on at least a weekly basis, bulk extracts of

their licensing databases. Each licensing database has its own unique file

structure. These extracts consist of multiple, very large files. The FCC’s Office of

Engineering and Technology (OET) maintains an index to these databases at
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/database/fadb.html. Entry points into the various
databases include frequency, state/county, latitude/longitude, call-sign and

licensee name. For further information on the Commission’s existing databases,

you can contact Donald Campbell at [email protected] or 202-418-2405.

Can local and state governmental bodies establish limits for
RF exposure?

Although some local and state governments have enacted rules and regulations

about human exposure to RF energy in the past, the Telecommunications Act of

1996 requires the Federal Government to control human exposure to RF

emissions. In particular, Section 704 of the Act states that, “No State or local

government or instrumentality thereof may regulate the placement,

construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the

basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent

that such facilities comply with the Commission’s regulations concerning such

emissions.” Further information on federal authority and FCC policy is available

in a fact sheet from the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at
www.fcc.gov/wtb.

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 radiofrequency

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