Specific Absorption Rate
- What is the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Education Programme about?
It is to raise awareness about the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value of mobile phones and to give consumers the opportunity to make an informed choice before making their purchase.
- Why is StarHub participating in this initiative?
The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) is driving this initiative. Being a social responsible and customer-oriented organisation, StarHub is committed to providing world-class customer service to its customers. StarHub is supporting CASE for this SAR Education Programme.
- What is Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)?
SAR is the unit of measurement for the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.
- Do all mobile phones in Singapore have SAR values?
Yes. All mobile phones in Singapore have SAR values.
- What is the exposure standard for mobile phones used in Singapore?
The SAR limit for mobile phones used in Singapore is 2.0 watts/kilogram (W/kg) averaged over ten grams of tissue. All mobile phones sold in Singapore are approved by iDA. Singapore has adopted the exposure standard recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- Does a lower SAR mean that a phone is safer?
No. Variations in SAR do not mean that there are variations in safety. While there may be difference in SAR levels among phone models, all mobile phones sold in Singapore must and have met RF exposure guidelines.
- Where can I get the SAR value for my mobile phone?
SAR information for new model phones is included in the user manual that comes with your mobile phone. In additional, this information will be available on the web site of your mobile phone manufacturer.
- Where can I go if I want more information?
There are several good sources of information by the government and international agencies on the general issue of mobile phones and health.
World Health Organisation (WHO) - www.who.int/emf
Mobile Manufacturers Forum - www.mmfai.org
U.K National Radiologoical Protection Board - www.nrpb.org.uk/
- Are there safety guidelines for mobile phone base station antennas?
Yes. There are national and international safety guidelines for exposure of the public to the RF radiation produced by mobile phone base station antennas. The most widely acceptable standards are those developed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The Health Science Authority (HSA) of Singapore has also adopted this international standard body's recommendation.
- Can Mobile phone base station antennas meet the safety guidelines?
Yes. Singapore Health Science Authority (HSA) commented that with proper design, mobile phone base station antennas can meet all safety guidelines by a wide margin. StarHub has engaged HSA to certify its mobile phone base station antennas are meeting all the safety guidelines.
- Are there groups (such as children or the elderly) that are more sensitive to the effects of RF radiation?
While some groups in the general population might be more sensitive to the effects of RF radiation than others, no such groups have actually been found.
- Is it safe to live on the top floor of a building that has a mobile phone base station antenna on it?
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), it is safe to live on the top floor of a building because:
- The roof of the building will absorb large amounts of the RF energy. Typically, a roof would be expected to decrease signal strength by a factor of 5 to 10 (or more for a reinforced concrete or metal roof).
- Even a worst-case calculation predicts that power density on the floor below an antenna will meet all current RF safety guideline.
- Actual measurements in top floor apartments and corridors confim the power density will be far below all current RF safety guidelines.
- Will mobile phone base station antennas affect medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers?
No. World Health Organisation (WHO) commented that there is no evidence that mobile phone base station antennas will interfere with cardiac pacemakers or other implated medical devices so long as exposure levels are kept within the recommended guideline for uncontrolled exposure. It is possible that digital mobile phones themselves might interfere with pacemakers if the antenna is placed directly over the pacemaker. This problem is reported to occur with only some types of digital phones and some types of pacemakers.
- Do mobile phones or mobile phone base stations cause headaches?
No one has claimed that there is scientific evidence that base stations cause headaches, and there are no biophysical bases for expecting such an effect.
- Is there any replicated evidence that RF radiation can cause cancer?
No. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), there is no substantial evidence that RF radiation can either cause or contribute to cancer even at high levels of exposure.
- Is there any evidence that RF Radiation can cause miscarriages or birth defects?
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), there is no laboratory evidence at all that RF radiation at the power levels associated with public exposure to RF radiation from mobile phone base station antennas are associated with miscarriages or birth defects.
