Telephones, masts and health

Mobile telephony in society

We can no longer imagine a society without telecommunications. Over the years, we have become increasingly dependent on telecommunications for our social lives, our economy and our safety. To provide telecom services, KPN and other operators have been granted licenses and frequencies from the Dutch government.

Mobile telephony: how does it work?

In the Netherlands there are more than 21 million mobile connections. This requires a nationwide coverage of base stations with antennas. When you make a mobile call, the antenna in your phone sends a signal to a base station nearby. Via the fixed network, this base station sends the signal to a base station near the person you are calling. The last stretch from the base station to the recipient is transmitted through the air.

The rules concerning electromagnetic fields

In our use of our frequencies and licenses we adhere strictly to all the national and international standards and regulations. In this, KPN observes a wider safety margin than required by law. The exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF, known popularly as ‘radiation’), such as the radio waves required for many things, including mobile communication, is 200 times lower than the national and international thresholds. Research conducted by the Dutch Radio Communications Agency (Agentschap Telecom)shows that all field strengths near transmission masts remain within the prevailing limits.

Electromagnetic fields and health

There is continuing research to investigate whether there is a relationship between electromagnetic fields and health. Scientific knowledge in this area is more extensive than what we know about most chemicals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (insert hyperlink: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/print.html). KPN and the other operators do not conduct independent research, but cooperate with such research by providing information if requested.

Up to now the research has not resulted in an unambiguous picture. Recent publications do not demonstrate that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones or antennas has a negative effect on health, but neither do they provide conclusive evidence to the contrary. So there is plenty of scope for further research.
KPN considers that the interpretation of the many scientific studies, such as the maximum exposure limits to electromagnetic fields, should be left to objective organizations and scientific authorities. For this reason, we use the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Council of the Netherlands as the starting point for our policy concerning electromagnetic fields.

Electromagnetic fields and children

Parents sometimes worry about the effect of using mobile phones or other equipment on the health of their children. No hard conclusions can be drawn from the research regarding the question as to whether children are more vulnerable to electromagnetic fields than adults. On the one hand it has not been demonstrated that mobile equipment or antennas present a (greater) risk for children's health, on the other hand organizations do indicate that of the current generation, young people often use mobile communications more and from a younger age.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is therefore giving priority to further research into the use of mobile communication resources by children of various ages.

Limiting exposure

Below you will find some tips to help limit exposure to electromagnetic fields for yourself and your children, based on these studies. Please note that these tips are not recommendations from KPN or from the scientific organizations, but are general information that you can use if you wish, for whatever reason, to limit exposure to electromagnetic fields.

Increase the distance between your mobile phone and your body
The greater the distance, the more limited the exposure of your head or body to electromagnetic fields. For example, put your telephone on hands-free or use a headset or earphone. The amount of electromagnetic energy is greatest when the connection is being made: so while you are waiting for the connection, hold the telephone away from your body.

Choose a telephone with an low SAR value
SAR stands for ‘Specific Absorption Rate’ and the SAR value is an indication of the amount of electromagnetic energy emitted by a mobile phone (expressed in Watt/kg) and absorbed by the body. You can always find information about the SAR value of your mobile phone in the instruction booklet. Note: these are maximum values, which in practice are hardly ever reached.

Make calls where you have the best possible reception
When reception is poor, the mobile phone has to transmit more to make the connection and the amount of electromagnetic energy is therefore higher.

Limit your calls and the length of your exposure
Make shorter or fewer calls, use text messages or instant messaging more often and turn off your phone or switch on flight mode when you are not using it, such as at night.

More information

If you would like more information about electromagnetic fields and health risks, please contact one of the following organizations.

The Health Council of the Netherlands makes recommendations to the government as independent scientific advisory body concerning public health, healthcare and research including EMF and health. On their website you will find recommendations made by the Health Council and information about recommendations being prepared.

The Knowledge Platform on Electromagnetic Fields was established by the Ministry of VROM (Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment) in 2007. The platform gathers knowledge about electromagnetic fields with the aim of explaining scientific information on the subject and making it available.

The Dutch Radio Communications Agency (Agentschap Telecom) is part of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and prepares national and international agreements on the use of frequencies. The organization also monitors the compliance with these agreements by telecom operators.

The Dutch Radio Communications Agency (Agentschap Telecom) is the government agency for antennas. You can contact the Antennebureau for information about legislation concerning the placement of antennas and the applications for which antennas are used, and about EMF and health.

Monet is the association that, on behalf of the network operators KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone, makes agreements with government bodies and, if necessary, those living in the neighborhood regarding the placement of antennas. Monet also provides information on this topic. On the Monet website you will find information about the use of mobile networks and antennas.