159
Health and Safety Information
Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals
Certification Information (SAR)
Your wireless phone is a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and
manufactured not to exceed the exposure limits for radio frequency (RF) energy set
by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the U.S. government.
These FCC exposure limits are derived from the recommendations of two expert
organizations, the National Counsel on Radiation Protection and Measurement
(NCRP) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
In both cases, the recommendations were developed by scientific and engineering
experts drawn from industry, government, and academia after extensive reviews of
the scientific literature related to the biological effects of RF energy.
The exposure limit set by the FCC for wireless mobile phones employs a unit of
measurement known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The SAR is a measure of
the rate of absorption of RF energy by the human body expressed in units of watts
per kilogram (W/kg). The FCC requires wireless phones to comply with a safety limit
of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC exposure limit incorporates a
substantial margin of safety to give additional protection to the public and to account
for any variations in measurements.
SAR tests are conducted using standard operating positions accepted by the FCC
with the phone transmitting at its highest certified power level in all tested frequency
bands. Although the 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.
This is because the phone is designed to operate at multiple power levels so as 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 new model phone is available for sale to the public, it must be tested and
certified to the FCC that it does not exceed the exposure limit established by the
FCC. Tests for each model phone are performed in positions and locations (e.g. at
the ear and worn on the body) as required by the FCC. For body worn operation, this
phone has been tested and meets FCC RF exposure guidelines when used with an
accessory that contains no metal and that positions the handset a minimum of
1.5 cm from the body. Use of other accessories may not ensure compliance with
FCC RF exposure guidelines.
