FAQ

A mobile telephone network is a wireless network distributed over land areas called cells. Each cell has its
own base station which sends and receives radio signals through its specified area.
Mobile telephones operate by sending and receiving low power RF signals to and from the base stations.
The base stations are linked to the rest of the mobile and fixed telephone networks and pass the signal/
call onto those networks.
In Mauritius, the frequency bands at which mobile telephones transmit are 900 and 1800 MHz for the
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network, 800 MHz for the CDMA (Code Division
Multiple Access) network and 2100 MHz for the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System)
network, which is also known as 3G.

A base station is the infrastructure which enables telecommunication companies to offer mobile services through a network. 

To provide a good quality mobile service, base stations need to be located where people use their mobile telephones. The number of base stations required for a given area will depend on the terrain and other surrounding obstructions like trees and buildings and the number of people using mobile telephones in that area.

Antennas of base stations are often located on existing structures and on the roof tops of buildings to minimise the visual impact of the facility and to use the available height to achieve coverage objectives and to minimise mobile telephone coverage ‘black spots’. Base stations produce very weak radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure levels.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) transfer electromagnetic energy by radio waves. EMF is part

of everyday life and occurs naturally (emissions from the sun, the earth and the ionosphere) or artificially.

Artificial sources include:-

• Mobile telephone base stations
• Broadcast towers
• Electrical and electronic equipment
• Remote controls

Radiofrequency (EMF) is a non-ionising radiation, which means that it has insufficient energy to

break the chemical bonds in an atom or molecule. In contrast, ionising radiation, such as X-rays, can strip

electrons from atoms and molecules, thereby changing the molecular structure that can lead to damage in

biological tissue. Given that each type of ionisation interacts differently with the human body, care must be

taken so as not to confuse the terms ‘ionising’ and ‘non-ionising’ radiation.

International health and safety guidelines are in place to limit public exposure to radio waves from base
stations and mobile telephones. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has formally recognised the
International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) to develop the international
EMF exposure guidelines. The international guidelines developed by ICNIRP are based on a careful analysis
of published scientific literature (which covers research on both thermal and non-thermal effects) and offer
protection against all identified hazards of RF energy with large safety margins.
The table below gives examples of reference levels for specified technologies used for deploying mobile
networks. These are derived from the ICNIRP basic limits of exposure of human beings to electromagnetic
fields for comparison against measured electromagnetic fields. Measurements below the reference level
guarantee that the basic limits of exposure are not exceeded. These reference levels have been adopted by
the ICTA pursuant to section 18(1) (n) of the ICT Act 2001 (as amended) and in accordance with ITU-T(2)
Recommendation K.52.

(2) The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. One of the three sectors of the ITU is the ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO):
• Biological effects are measurable responses to a stimulus or to a change in the environment.
These changes are not necessarily harmful to health.
• Ongoing change forms a normal part of our lives.
• Changes that are irreversible and stress the organism for long periods of time may constitute
a health hazard.
• An adverse health effect causes detectable impairment of the health of the exposed individual
or of his or her offspring.
• A biological effect on the other hand, may or may not result in an adverse health effect.
Based on the weight of international scientiffiic opinion, the WHO has concluded that there is no
substantiated evidence that living near a mobile telephone antenna causes adverse health effects.

The Standard makes it imperative for operators to adopt forward planning for the installation of RF
infrastructure to cater for the expected rise in the number of antennas due to the foreseeable growth in
demand for mobile telephony services and good network coverage in Mauritius.

In 2009, the ICTA adopted an in-situ measurement protocol for the determination of RF fields (300 MHz
– 6GHz) in the vicinity of base stations for the evaluation of general public exposure to electromagnetic
fields.
The ICTA performs measurements as per the abovementioned protocol upon request from Local
Authorities or the general public.
The ICTA has initiated a project whereby regular monitoring of the emissions from mobile telephone base
stations will be effected around the island. The measured levels will then be made publicly available on the
website of the ICTA.

According to a WHO Fact Sheet N°193 of June 2011 studies have been conducted over the last two decades to assess whether mobile telephones pose a potential health risk. According to the information in the WHO Fact Sheet to date, no adverse health effects have been established for mobile telephone use. The Fact Sheet also mentions that the WHO intends to conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2012.

(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html)

On 31 May 2011, however, according to press release N°208 of the International Agency for  Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO and the IARC classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields “as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless telephone use”.

For more information on this subject please consult the www.who.int and www.iarc.fr

Emissions from mobile telephones in Mauritius have been limited to a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of
2 W/kg of tissue (averaged over 10 grams) in compliance with the EN 50360:2001 standard. The SAR is
defined as the rate at which a mobile telephone user absorbs energy from the handset.
As from 1 February 2010, all mobile telephones imported in Mauritius for sale should have been type
approved by the ICTA and should have shown compatibility with the EN 50360:2001 standard. A list of
type approved mobile telephones, including their respective SAR information is available from the ICTA
website (https://lab.icta.mu). Moreover, as from 1 July 2010, licensed dealers have the obligation to affix
the maximum SAR on the box of mobile telephones sold and in the user’s manual of the mobile telephone
or on a separate sheet in the mobile telephone box

The WHO’s advice as given in Fact Sheet N°193 of May 2010 is as follows:-
“A person using a mobile telephone 30–40 cm away from their body – for example when text messaging, accessing
the Internet, or using a “hands free” device – will therefore have a much lower exposure to radiofrequency fields
than someone holding the handset against their head.
In addition to using “hands-free” devices, which keep mobile telephones away from the head and body during
telephone calls, exposure is also reduced by limiting the number and length of calls. Using the telephone in areas
of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the telephone to transmit at reduced power. The use of
commercial devices for reducing radiofrequency field exposure has not been shown to be effective.”

Under section 18 (1) (n) of the ICT Act 2001 (as amended), the ICTA
has the legal mandate to “ensure the safety and quality of every information
and communication services including telecommunication service and, for
that purpose, determine technical standards for telecommunication network,
the connection of customer equipment to telecommunication networks”.
Since 2009, the ICTA has been committed to setting up the
appropriate regulatory framework with a view to ensuring EMF
safety. Below are some of the actions taken by the ICTA as part of
this endeavour:
1. The ICTA informs the community about EMF safety.
This Guide is an example of a communication tool used by the
regulator
2. The ICTA has issued the mandatory technical and administrative Standard
(ICTA/STD/2011/01) for operators with respect to the deployment of
radiocommunications infrastructure
3. The ICTA evaluates base stations prior to authorising their deployment in accordance
with the International Telecommunication Union Standardization Bureau (ITU-T)
Recommendation K.52
4. Through its type approval process, the ICTA ensures that mobile telephones
commercialised in Mauritius comply with internationally recognised health and safety
standards for electromagnetic fields
5. The ICTA has been conducting in-situ measurements upon request since 2009 and has
embarked on a project whereby EMF levels across Mauritius will be monitored regularly
and published on the ICTA website
6. The ICTA also entertains complaints from the public with respect to EMF safety.

Whenever there are good reasons to believe that
there is non-compliance, the first step is to file a written
complaint to the operator of the site. For the purpose of
the Standard, a complaint is deemed to be an expression
of dissatisfaction or grievance made in writing. A
complainant may send the complaint by email, post or
fax. Operators are required to assist the complainant in
making the complaint, if needs be.
Where a complainant is not satisfied with the operator’s
response, he/she may report the matter to the ICTA.
The ICTA may look into the complaint and may direct
the operator to take remedial actions, if any.
When making a complaint, the material facts committed
by the operator should be set out as clearly as possible
with reference to the relevant sections of the Deployment
of Radiocommunication Infrastructure Technical and
Administrative Standard for Electromagnetic Field
(EMF) Safety which the complainant has good reasons to
believe may have been breached.

Should a complainant wish the ICTA to effect EMF measurements at his/her premises with respect to base
stations located in his/her neighbourhood, a written request shall be made to the ICTA.
The ICTA will ensure that the said base stations are in their normal operating conditions and arrange for
the most appropriate time to effect the measurements prior to giving the complainant at least 48 hours
advance notice.
On the day of the measurements, the
complainant will have to be at home
or make arrangements to be duly
represented as the measurements
will usually be effected inside the
complainant’s premises in the rooms
facing the base stations. Officers of
the ICTA will call at the complainant’s
premises and will briefly explain
to the complainant or to his/her
representative, the process they will
follow. They will also request the
complainant or his/her representative
to sign an inspection declaration form.
The ICTA will inform the complainant
of its findings by way of letter at its
earliest convenience.

Mobile phones and EMF FAQ

https://emfguide.itu.int/en/emfguide_m.html#page6_1

Base stations and EMF FAQ

https://emfguide.itu.int/en/emfguide_m.html#page6_2

EMF exposure limits FAQ

https://emfguide.itu.int/en/emfguide_m.html#page6_3

EMF myths FAQ

https://emfguide.itu.int/en/emfguide_m.html#page6_4