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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 RF 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 SAR 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
reported 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 of the phone.
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 SAR
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
