Section 4A: Safety 153
Cellular and PCS base stations in the United States are required to comply with limits
for exposure recommended by expert organizations and endorsed by government
agencies responsible for health and safety. Measurements made near cellular and
PCS base station antennas mounted on towers have confirmed that ground-level
exposures are typically thousands of times less than the exposure limits adopted by
the FCC. In fact, in order to be exposed to levels at or near the FCC limits for cellular or
PCS frequencies an individual would essentially have to remain in the main
transmitted radio signal (at the height of the antenna) and within a few feet from
the antenna. This is, of course, very unlikely to occur.
When cellular and PCS antennas are mounted on rooftops, RF levels on that roof or
on others near by would probably be greater than those typically encountered on the
ground. However, exposure levels approaching or exceeding safety guidelines
should be encountered only very close to or directly in front of the antennas. In
addition, for sector-type antennas, typically used for such rooftop base stations, RF
levels to the side and in back of these antennas are insignificant. General guidelines
on antenna installations and circumstances that might give rise to a concern about
an facility’s conformance with FCC regulations can be found in A Local Government
Official’s Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: Rules, Procedures, and
Practical Guidance. This Guide can be accessed at: h
ttp://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety.
Who regulates exposure to radiation from microwave ovens, television sets
and computer monitors?
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public from
harmful radiation emissions from these consumer products.
Does the FCC routinely monitor radiofrequency radiation from antennas?
The FCC does not have the resources or the personnel to routinely monitor the
emissions for all the thousands of transmitters that are subject to FCC jurisdiction.
However, the FCC does have measurement instrumentation for evaluating RF levels
in areas that may be accessible to the public or to workers. If there is evidence for
potential non-compliance with FCC exposure guidelines for a FCC-regulated facility,
staff from the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology or the FCC Enforcement
Bureau can conduct and investigation, and, if appropriate, perform actual
measurements. Circumstances that could give rise to a concern about an facility’s
conformance with FCC regulations can be found in in A Local Government Official’s
Guide to Transmitting Antenna RF Emission Safety: Rules, Procedures, and Practical
Guidance. This Guide can be accessed at: h
ttp://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety
. Potential
exposure problems should be brought to the FCC’s attention by contacting the FCC
RF Safety Program at: 202-418-2464 or by email: r
fsafety@fcc.gov.
Does the FCC maintain a database that includes information on the location
and technical parameters of all the transmitting towers it regulates?
Each of the FCC Bureaus maintains its own licensing database system for the
service(s) it regulates (e.g., television, cellular service, satellite earth stations.) The
FCC issues two types of licenses: site specific and market based. In the case of site
specific licensed facilities, technical operating information is collected from the
licensee as part of the licensing process. However, in the case of market based
