The mobile telephone itself has been the main focus of questions related to health in mobile telephony. One reason for this is the mobile telephone antenna's proximity to the user's head during calls.

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP ) is the leading organization specifying limits for exposure to radio waves. Since 1995 Ericsson has been performing laboratory SAR measurements to ensure that all telephone models comply with the recommended limits.

The mobile phone is a low-power radio transmitter and receiver. When it is turned on, it emits low levels of radio frequency energy (also known as radio waves or radio frequency fields).

The frequency used by second and third generation (2G and 3G) mobile phones varies with the technology used, from 800 MHz to 2200 MHz. The power level from mobile phones is very low; the maximum output power varies from 0.1 to 0.6 W. Phones are also designed to reduce the output power to the lowest level needed to reach a base station. This means that the average output power normally is much lower than the maximum.

Watch the Ericsson video "Mobile phones and health ". (Windows Media Player file, 59MB)