In June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it would review its rules on radiation exposure from cell phones. The FCC’s current Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits were set fifteen years ago, in 1996.
Any day now, the FCC is expected to publish a Notice of Inquiry, which will be open to public comment for a couple months. After that, the commission may issue some proposed rules. After another comment period, the FCC could issue a final rule.
It is unlikely there will be a change to the SAR regulations. The last time the FCC proposed a change to its RF rules was in 2003, and these minor-change amendments are still pending.
The FCC’s current SAR limits are already the tightest in the world. SAR is the rate at which your body absorbs energy from a radio-frequency magnetic field. It’s measured in watts per kilogram or W/kg. To be considered safe, every cell phone model sold in the U.S. must adhere to a SAR that’s less than 1.6 watts per kilogram taken over a volume containing a mass of 1 gram of tissue, even under the worst conditions.
The likely reason for the review of the cell phone radiation exposure rules now? The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been looking into the adequacy of the cell phone standard, and the FCC wants to be seen as proactive in this area.
Responsible for cell phone SAR compliance? Join us in September for a complimentary Wireless Seminar on the East Coast or West Coast that will cover SAR regulations for personal electronic devices.
Read about MET’s SAR Testing capabilities.