User's Manual

E-10
FDA Information
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Cell Phone Facts
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
k What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term “wireless phone” refers here to hand-held wireless phones
with built-in antennas, often called “cell,”“mobile,” or “PCS” phones.
These types of wireless phones can expose the user to measurable
radiofrequency energy (RF) because of the short distance between the
phone and the user’s head. These RF exposures are limited by Federal
Communications Commission safety guidelines that were developed with
the advice of FDA and other federal health and safety agencies. When
the phone is located at greater distances from the user, the exposure
to RF is drastically lower because a person’s RF exposure decreases
rapidly with increasing distance from the source. The so-called “cordless
phones,” which have a base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a
house, typically operate at far lower power levels, and thus produce RF
exposures well within the FCC’s compliance limits.
k Do wireless phones pose a health hazard?
The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems
are associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however,
that wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit low
levels of radiofrequency energy (RF) in the microwave range while being
used. They also emit very low levels of RF when in the stand-by mode.