Radio waves and health

In all mobile networks, connected devices communicate with base stations using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF), also known as radio waves. The adoption of mobile communication since the 1990s has created some public concern that the radio waves from mobile phones and base stations may cause adverse health effects.

Expert groups and public health authorities, including the World Health Organization have reviewed available scientific studies and have concluded that the balance of evidence does not demonstrate any health effects associated with radio wave exposure from either mobile phones or radio base stations complying with international limits.

Since 1996, Ericsson has co-sponsored over 100 independent studies on electromagnetic fields and health, primarily through the Mobile & Wireless Forum (MWF). To ensure scientific independence, firewalls were in place between the industrial sponsors and the researchers and all results were made available by publication in the open scientific literature. In 2018 the MWF published a summary of the EMF and health research that has been funded since 1998, “MWF 20 years of research” (pdf).