Phone Radiation: Why You Should Keep It Away from Your Ear

When you hold a cell phone to your ear, you expose your head and brain to low levels of radiofrequency (RF) radiation. While phones are regulated for safety, multiple health agencies and researchers advise limiting direct contact to reduce potential long-term risks. Here's what you need to know.

What Is RF Radiation? 

How Far Should a WiFi Router Be From Where You Sleep?

As WiFi becomes more essential to modern homes, many people wonder how far a WiFi router should be from their sleeping area for safety and comfort. While research on WiFi radiation and health effects is still evolving, keeping a safe distance between your WiFi router and where you sleep can help reduce exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation and potentially improve sleep quality.

In this article, we’ll cover the recommended distance for placing a WiFi router near your bed, explore safety considerations, and provide tips for limiting exposure to WiFi signals overnight.

Understanding WiFi Radiation

Is mmWave Safe? When Can mmWave Be Dangerous?

The safety of mmWave technology is a topic of ongoing research and discussion. While mmWave technology has been used for various applications, including medical imaging and airport security scanners, the use of mmWave frequencies for widespread wireless communication is relatively new, particularly in the context of 5G networks.

There are a few safety aspects to consider when assessing the safety of mmWave technology:

RFK & Joe Rogan on WiFi & Cell Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer

Robert F. Kennedy on the danger of Wifi Radiation, including cell phone tumors behind the ear, and that he is representing hundreds of people with such tumors.

Do Wireless Consumer Trust The FCC or FTC?

 

Are Home Buyers Reluctant to Live Cell Towers?

The attitude of homebuyers towards living near cell towers and DAS cell phone antennas can vary. While some homebuyers may have concerns or reservations about living in close proximity to cell towers, others may not view it as a significant issue. 

Here are a few points to consider regarding homebuyers and cell towers:

How To Measure 5G Cell Tower & Power Line EMF

There are various devices and instruments available that can measure electromagnetic fields (EMF). Here are some common methods and tools used for EMF measurements:

Cell Phones & Cancer Risk?

A study found that 14,249 incidences of cancer occurred in study participants.

Is 5G Safe?

There are lots of differing opinions, yet the mobile phone industry is actively trying to confuse and mislead consumers about the health risks of 5G. 

Buying a Home Next to a DAS Antenna or Cell Tower

DAS Antenna on Utility Pole Next To Homes

If you are buying a home these days you should probably do your due diligence on cell phone towers and DAS antennas that are within a few blocks of your home.   

One of the biggest concerns of a prospective home buyer today is the cell phone reception quality of a home.  Will my new home get a good cell phone signal?  However, most people don't often think of living too close to a DAS antenna on a utility pole (picture above) or a cell phone tower being in their backyard (below).  Here are some articles on cell tower health and safety issues.  Another concern is property values declining near cell phone towers.  

Cell Tower in Back of Home

It is not always transparent if you are new to a neighborhood if there have been historic health and safety issues from a cell phone tower or DAS antenna nearby.  In fact, cell phone companies have dozens of local public relations people on staff to keep the surrounding communities appeased by donating to charities and sponsoring local events.  Public relations is a huge part of trying to squash any negative press or city council issues about putting up new cell phone towers and potential safety issues.  

Deadcellzones.com uses public FCC data sources to map cell phone towers and other unregistered antennas (DAS) in the United States.  The cell phone coverage and cell tower map can be found here.  The map on the left shows dead cell zone complaints and the map on the right show cell phone towers and DAS antennas that have been registered and some unregistered antennas.  The green dots are unregistered antennas and the black dots are cell phone towers.  We do not have all registered & unregistered antennas in this map.  If you see a particular area that you would like us to add unregistered cell phone towers please email us.  

We often get emails from real estate agents looking for data to help their clients better understand what cell phone towers exist in the neighborhood near the home.  This is often true of out of state buyers looking at homes who are unfamiliar with the area.   Homebuyers from out of the area often want to know how the cell phone reception is of a particular home or apartment and don't want to be surprised if a cell phone tower or antenna is hanging on a pole near the house. 

Deadcellzones.com is also actively trying to get cell phone reception feedback used by real estate companies like Zillow, RedFin, HomeSnap & Realtor.com.  We think cell reception and cell tower data should be an attribute used by real estate companies similar to how Walkscore provides information about things nearby a home like schools, restaurants, and parks.  

Most real estate companies have been very reluctant to share this data with prospective home buyers for obvious reasons.  Why would any real estate agent want to give a reason NOT to buy a home?  Hopefully, this culture of dishonesty will change in the near future and this data can provide some transparency.  

Some areas in particular where we have a lot of readers are in California.  So if you are looking to find places to live here is one resource that might help when trying to find tiburon apartments. 

Can Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

The expert panel that evaluates cancer risks today said that cell phones might possibly cause brain cancer.  Full Story from WebMD

The announcement comes from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Like the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society relies on IARC for evaluation of cancer risks.

"After reviewing all the evidence available, the IARC working group classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans," panel chairman Jonathan Samet, MD, chair of preventive medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, said at a news teleconference. "We reached this conclusion based on a review of human evidence showing an increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, in association with wireless phone use."

In finding cell phones to be "possibly carcinogenic," the IARC means that heavy cell phone use might -- or might not -- cause a specific form of brain cancer called a glioma. The finding means that research is urgently needed to find out whether cell phones actually cause cancer, and how they might do it.

The IARC estimates that some 5 billion people worldwide have mobile phones. Lifetime exposure to the magnetic fields created by the phones -- particularly when they are held tightly against the head -- rapidly is increasing.

Children are at particular risk, not only because their skulls are thinner but also because their lifetime exposure to cell phones likely will be greater than the exposure of current adults.

Related Stories:
How to Measure Cell Phone Radiation Levels
Cell Phones & Cancer Risk?

How to Measure Cell Phone Radiation Levels

Studies are inconclusive about the effect of radiation from cell phones. Tawkon shows you when you're OK to talk on and how to minimize your exposure to mobile phone radiation just when you need to. Tawkon is the only application that recognizes when radiation exposure has increased, alerts you when radiation levels cross a predefined threshold, and provides simple, non-intrusive suggestions to reduce exposure to radiation. Suggestions are based on your real time environment and usage factors.

Tawkon  achieves this with our RRI™ (Real-time Radiation Indication) patent-pending technology. RRI collects and analyzes your phone's dynamic SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) levels, network coverage, location, environmental conditions and phone usage at any given moment. RRI leverages unique smart phones capabilities such as GPS, accelerometer, proximity sensors and more to help minimize radiation exposure during mobile phone usage.  Request a download here.

Mobile phones allow communication from any location via a network of base stations (cellular antennas). Information is transmitted from the mobile phone to the base station and vice versa via high-frequency electromagnetic fields.  Radiation intensity is greatest close to its source (the mobile phone's antenna) and decreases sharply with distance from the phone.  The intensity of cellular (non-ionizing) radiation exposure during a call depends on various factors:

A mobile phone emits less radiation when connection quality is good than when it is poor.

• Connection quality is, for example, better outdoors than in a building or areas with connectivity interferences (basement, elevator, car, etc)
• Connectivity improves with proximity to a cellular base station
• Connectivity can be reduced by phone usage such as antenna orientation (if the phone is held vertically or horizontally), travel speed, etc

The proportion of radiation absorbed by the human body when making a call varies according to:

• The model of mobile phone, conveyed by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Maximum SAR levels are set by governmental regulating agencies in many countries (e.g. the FCC in the US)
• The antenna’s proximity from the body

App screen shot

Related Stories: 
Can Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
Cell Phones & Cancer Risk?

FCC Could Ban Cell Signal Boosters = Bad Idea

People Don’t Seek Solutions Unless There Are Problems!

Comments on the RCR Wireless Article FCC to address cellphone boosters, jammers and is the FCC losing its' authority and credibility based on this court ruling?

The Federal Communications Commission is considering implementing a law that would make cellphone boosters illegal unless they are deployed by a wireless operator (DCZ:  Wireless operates hate signal boosters b/c they are not under their control)  or with the consent of a wireless operator, a move that could impact thousands of end-users already owning such devices.  (DCZ:  What problem are they trying to solve that the network operators have not dealt with for years?)

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking before the FCC addresses an ongoing controversy within the wireless industry and could impact devices like MagicJack (DCZ: this product is not a booster its VoIP.  However, they have a product called FemtoJack under development) and other femtocell solutions, as well as local and state governments that want to be able to use cellphone jammers to prevent prisoners from unauthorized use of cellphones. (DCZ:  Or schools who want their kids paying attention to the teacher)  Depending on whose argument you believe, the eventual ruling could even have an impact on net neutrality rules.  (DCZ:  I don't see how this applies to Net Neutrality)  One proponent of signal boosters and jammers said that making boosters illegal won’t address the products already in the market, nor will it stop the sale of signal boosters.  (DCZ:  There are a handful of big companies and thousands of people employed by them with hundreds of thousands of devices already on the market.)

Wireless industry trade association CTIA in 2007 filed a petition for a declaratory ruling at the FCC, asking that it outlaw the sale and use of any device that can enhance or impair cellphone calls. (DCZ:  Might have worked under the previous corrupt Bush Administration)  The petition was a surprise to some third-party retailers, who called RCR Wireless News at the time and thought the story had to be wrong. Therein lies the crux of the problem: a cellphone booster can enhance coverage for a customer, but also has the potential to interfere with someone else’s signal (DCZ:  How often and how can they prove this?). Yet, cellphone boosters have been marketed to carriers and end-users alike as a way to improve the cellular signal in areas where coverage is less than satisfactory – and the reality remains that cellphone coverage in some locations is spotty.  (DCZ:  Carriers need to get their act together with Femtocells first before they decide to outlaw something like this. Signal boosters provide a lot of value in the car.)

The FCC’s definition of signal boosters is fairly broad as it includes amplifiers, repeaters, boosters, Distributed Antenna Systems, and in-building radiation systems that enhance CMRS signals or Part 90 signals. CTIA is asking that the commission rule that companies must have an FCC license to operate a signal booster or have the consent from an FCC licensee (i.e., operator), and that the sale and marketing of devices to unauthorized parties (i.e., end-users or commercial building owners) is illegal.

CTIA also says that wireless microphones, jammers, and new products like the MagicJack femtocell device also are threats to the network.  (DCZ:  What happened to let entrepreneurs create technology to help the industry progress?)

“Unlike wireless handsets, which are under the control of the wireless licensee’s base station, signal boosters cannot be controlled by wireless licensees. However, it is clear that the commission’s rules require carriers to control and govern the use of signal boosters and amplifiers. In fact, this control contemplated in the commission’s rules exists for very good reasons. Signal boosters, because they are not controlled by the base station, do not operate at the lowest possible power. Rather, these devices are intended to operate at much higher power, which raises the noise floor, harming spectrum efficiency and causing interference that leads to degraded or dropped calls unless the devices are properly installed and overseen by the carrier,” CTIA said in comments on the NPRM.

“To address the harm caused by unauthorized signal booster operation, the commission must affirm its existing requirements, which prohibit the sale or marketing of signal boosters to unauthorized users. Currently, many manufacturers and retailers market and sell these products to end-users with the knowledge that these devices do not and cannot comply with the commission’s licensing and interference control obligations. Under FCC rules, the use of signal boosters is only permitted by licensees or parties authorized by licensees. However, illicit sale and operation of these devices will continue to proliferate – and will be impossible to effectively enforce – if the commission does not take prompt action to affirm these requirements.”

Not everyone agrees. Howard Melamed, CEO of CellAntenna, said a blanket “make them illegal” mandate doesn’t solve the problem. It will just force end-users in need of a solution to buy products overseas. “People don’t go out seeking a solution unless there is a problem.”

Howard said some of his clients are hospitals that have needed coverage but not been able to get satisfactory coverage from the carrier. Instead of a blanket mandate, the FCC should force signal-booster manufacturers to tighten the design specifications. He’s also advocated that a registry be created where people can register their signal booster with the FCC so in the event the signal booster is affecting the network, the carrier can know who or what is causing the problem. Melamed also joked in an interview with RCR Wireless News that he is a “persona non grata” within the wireless carrier community.

Wilson Electronics in its filing with the FCC argued that mobile amplifiers should not be subject to the same rules as larger, traditional fixed power boosters. Wilson also said the mobile boosters, designed for personal use in a car, for example, are an example of net neutrality initiatives at the FCC that are designed to allow any device to attach to the network.

CTIA disagrees with that assessment, as well as comments filed by The DAS Forum that recommend a code of conduct is followed, rather than more regulation.

Both CTIA and Howard agree that poor-quality boosters can cause problems. But Howard argues that not allowing U.S. companies to sell boosters that meet FCC certification standards will only lead people and businesses to buy poorer quality boosters overseas. Signal boosters are sold throughout the rest of the world, he said; the controversy only is occurring in North America.  (DCZ:  Pointing the finger in the wrong direction)

Jammer issues

But cellphone boosters are only half of the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking. The commission is also reviewing the sale of cellphone jammers, which block signals. Jammers can only be sold to federal authorities under the way the law reads today. Melamed argues that state and local authorities need to be able to use jammers, especially in a society where cellphones are used to remotely detonate bombs and are the No. 1 device illegally snuck into prisons. However, the FCC may not be the final authority on the use of cellphone jammers at the local and state levels. The Senate in October passed the Safe Prison Act, which allows the director of the federal bureau of prisons or the CEO of a state to seek FCC approval to deploy cellphone jammers in their jurisdictions to block wireless coverage in correctional facilities.