3. Health and safety information
Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals
Certification Information (SAR)
Your wireless express card 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 express cards 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 express
cards 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 express card 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 express card while operating can be well below the
maximum value. This is because the express card 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 express card 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 express card are performed in
positions and locations (e.g. worn on the body) as required by the
FCC.
This express card was tested for SAR in a body-worn configuration.
The device was found to comply with the FCC requirements for RF exposure when
used in notebook computer with at least a 1.2 cm gap between the card slot and
the lap of the user. Maximum measured SAR levels for this device were:
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