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 radiofrequency (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 for wireless mobile phones employs a unit of measurement known as the Specific
Absorption Rate, or 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.
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 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.The highest SAR value for this model
phone when tested for use at the ear is 1.18 W/kg and when worn on the body, as described in this
user’s manual, is 1.20 W/kg. While there may be differences between SAR levels of various phones and
at various positions, they all meet the government requirement for safe exposure.
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/ea/fccid/ after searching on FCC ID ZNFL39C.
To find information that pertains to a particular model phone, this site uses the phone FCC ID number
which is usually printed somewhere on the case of the phone. Sometimes it may be necessary to
remove the battery pack to find the number. Once you have the FCC ID number for a particular phone,
follow the instructions on the website and it should provide values for typical or maximum SAR for a
particular phone.
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.
