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agencies that have responsibility for different aspects of RF safety to
ensure coordinated efforts at the federal level. The following agencies
belong to this working group:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Communications Commission
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health participates in some inter-agency
working group activities, as well. FDA shares regulatory
responsibilities for wireless phones with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). All phones that are sold in the
United States must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF
exposure. FCC relies on FDA and other health agencies for safety
questions about wireless phones. FCC also regulates the base
stations that the wireless phone networks rely upon. While these
base stations operate at higher power than do the wireless phones
themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these base
stations are typically thousands of times lower than those they can
get from wireless phones. Base stations are thus not the subject of
the safety questions discussed in this document.
3. 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.
Summary of Contents for CDM2030
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