Over the past three decades that mobile phones have been in use, they have become such an important communication tool that in many countries today there are more mobiles phones in use than there are people. Increasingly, we see more wireless devices coming into our lives. With such widespread use, it is not surprising that people have raised questions about whether there are any potential health effects.

Yet, despite the existence of numerous international scientific reviews that consistently hold that there is no scientific evidence of any adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones and other wireless devices, or from the base stations that support them, some people remain concerned. It is an issue that the industry takes seriously and is committed to addressing responsibly.

The greatest difficulty that we must deal with in responding to this issue is the inability of science to prove something is safe -- that is, to prove a negative. Science can only ever test the hypothesis that it is investigating yet the public demands comprehensive guarantees of safety. This is the fundamental disconnect that the industry, government and consumers must come to terms with.

While the industry is not a health expert -- for this we rely on the expert opinion of international health agencies -- we remain confident in the safety of our products. This view is based on the large research database that exists on the potential impacts of radio frequency (RF) energy; the numerous international scientific reviews that have consistently held that there is no scientific evidence of any adverse health effect from the use of mobile phones or from their base stations; and finally, the existence of standards that have been developed based on the science and that all products have been designed and tested against.

Turning to the research database that exists today, it is worthwhile to recall that the implications of RF energy for human health have been extensively studied for over 50 years. This research effort began with studies on radars in the '50s and '60s, broadcasting in the '60s and '70s and microwave ovens and mobile communications in the '90s.

This research effort has resulted in a substantial database of knowledge covering a multitude of frequencies and modulations. In fact, we have over 4,745 entries in the IEEE research database, over 25,00 of which are relevant to biological effects of RF exposure and over 987 specifically focused on wireless communications.

Industry continues to play its part as well in supporting relevant research in conjunction with health agencies and other stakeholders. We believe that this is the responsible thing to do, and we take great care to ensure that funding is provided in a way that guarantees a study’s scientific independence in conduct, analysis and reporting.

Thus, our background knowledge has been informed by this extensive research effort and even the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals.

Health agencies and expert review bodies around the world are also continually reviewing the available research. Since 2000 alone, there have been more than 30 such expert reviews undertaken of the literature. And the conclusions have been very consistent: that there has been no established adverse health effects at levels below the international guidelines -- a conclusion that the WHO has also reached.

So while the media favour the isolated ‘single study’ and rarely report on these more substantive reviews and the conclusions reached based on a review of the weight of scientific evidence, the public unfortunately, receives a rather distorted picture.

The available research has also been important for both the development and refinement of exposure standards, for which the industry ensures that all applicable wireless communications products are designed and tested against.

Therefore, despite what we often see in the media on this issue, we should not lose sight of the fact that research on RF energy has been ongoing for more than 50 years, resulting in an extensive research database and that the international scientific consensus provides a sound basis for confidence in the safety of wireless communications.

At the same time, we should also not forget that several billion people have embraced this technology for its clear benefits, including convenience, business and for their own and their family’s personal security and safety. 

Michael Milligan, secretary general,

Mobile Manufacturers Forum (Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this article are those of

the author and do not reflect the stance

of the magazine)