World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Telephone: 011 41 22 791 21 11
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
c/o Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz
Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1
85764 Oberschleissheim
Germany
Telephone: 011 49 1888 333 2156
http://www.icnirp.de
American National Standards Institute
1819 L Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
Telephone: (202) 293-8020
http://www.ansi.org
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20814-3095
Telephone: (301) 657-2652
http://www.ncrponline.org
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Committee on Man and Radiation (COMAR) of the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/embs/comar/
Consumer Information on SAR (Specific Absorption Rate)
This model phone meets the government’s requirements for exposure to radio waves. Your wireless phone
is a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and manufactured not to exceed the emission limits for
exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) energy set by the Federal Communications Commission of the U.S.
Government. These limits are part of comprehensive guidelines and establish permitted levels of RF energy
for the general population. The guidelines are based on standards that were developed by independent
scientific organizations through periodic and thorough evaluation of scientific studies. The standards include
a substantial safety margin designed to assure the safety of all persons, regardless of age and health.
The exposure standard for wireless mobile phones employs a unit of measurement known as the Specific
Absorption Rate, or SAR. The SAR limit set by the FCC is 1.6 W/kg. Tests for SAR are conducted using
standard operating positions specified by the FCC with the phone transmitting at its highest certified power
level in all tested frequency bands. Although SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual
SAR level of the phone while operating can be well below the maximum value. Because the phone is designed
to operate at multiple power levels to use only the power required to reach the network, in general, the closer
you are to a wireless base station antenna, the lower the power output. Before a phone model is available for
sale to the public, it must be tested and certified to the FCC that it does not exceed the limit established by the
government-adopted requirement for safe exposure. The tests are performed in positions and locations (e.g.,
at the ear and worn on the body) as required by the FCC for each model.
The highest SAR values are:
* Head: 1.08 W/kg
* Body (Body-worn/Hotspot): 1.29 W/kg
(Body measurements differ among phone models, depending upon available accessories and FCC
requirements). While there may be differences between SAR levels of various phones and at various
positions, they all meet the government requirement for safe exposure.
The FCC has granted an Equipment Authorization for this model phone with all reported SAR levels evaluated
as in compliance with the FCC RF emission guidelines. SAR information on this model phone is on file with
the FCC and can be found under the Display Grant section of http://www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid after searching on
FCC ID ZNFL56VL. Additional information on Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) can be found on the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) website at http://www.ctia.org/.
*In the United States and Canada, the SAR limit for mobile phones used by the public is 1.6 watts/kg (W/kg)
averaged over one gram of tissue. The standard incorporates a substantial margin of safety to give additional
protection for the public and to account for any variations in measurements.
FCC Hearing-Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations for Wireless Devices
On July 10, 2003, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Report and Order in WT
Docket 01-309 modified the exception of wireless phones under the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988
(HAC Act) to require digital wireless phones be compatible with hearing-aids. The intent of the HAC Act is to
ensure reasonable access to telecommunications services for persons with hearing disabilities.
While some wireless phones are used near some hearing devices (hearing aids and cochlear implants), users
may detect a buzzing, humming, or whining noise. Some hearing devices are more immune than others to
this interference noise, and phones also vary in the amount of interference they generate.
The wireless telephone industry has developed a rating system for wireless phones, to assist hearing device
users to find phones that may be compatible with their hearing devices. Not all phones have been rated.
Phones that are rated have the rating on their box or a label located on the box.
The ratings are not guarantees. Results will vary depending on the user’s hearing device and hearing loss. If your
hearing device happens to be vulnerable to interference, you may not be able to use a rated phone successfully.
Trying out the phone with your hearing device is the best way to evaluate it for your personal needs.
M-Ratings: Phones rated M3 or M4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to generate less interference to
hearing devices than phones that are not labeled. M4 is the better/higher of the two ratings.
T-Ratings: Phones rated T3 or T4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to generate less interference to
hearing devices than phones that are not labeled. T4 is the better/ higher of the two ratings.
Hearing devices may also be rated. Your hearing device manufacturer or hearing health professional may help
you find this rating. Higher ratings mean that the hearing device is relatively immune to interference noise.
The hearing aid and wireless phone rating values are then added together. A sum of 5 is considered acceptable
for normal use. A sum of 6 is considered for best use.
In the above example, if a hearing aid meets the M2 level rating and the wireless phone meets the
M3 level rating, the sum of the two values equal M5. This should provide the hearing aid user with
“normal usage” while using their hearing aid with the particular wireless phone. “Normal usage”
in this context is defined as a signal quality that’s acceptable for normal operation.
