Nokia Lumia 822 User Guide - Page 74

Nokia Lumia 822: Safety and Warranty in the head because the phone, which is the source of the RF emissions, will not be placed against the head. On the other hand, if the phone is mounted against the waist or other part of the body during use, then that part of the body will absorb more RF energy. Wireless phones marketed in the U.S. are required to meet safety requirements regardless of whether they are used against the head or against the body. Either configuration should result in compliance with the safety limit. Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield the head from RF radiation work? Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "handfree" kits, these so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies that sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim. How does the FCC audit cell phone RF? After FCC grants permission for a particular cellular telephone to be marketed, FCC will occasionally conduct "post-grant" testing to determine whether production versions of the phone are being produced to conform with FCC regulatory requirements. The manufacturer of a cell phone that does not meet FCC's regulatory requirements may be required to remove the cell phone from use and to refund the purchase price or provide a replacement phone, and may be subject to civil or criminal penalties. In addition, if the cell phone presents a risk of injury to the user, FDA may also take regulatory action. The most important post-grant test, from a consumer's perspective, is testing of the RF emissions of the phone. FCC measures the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the phone, following a very rigorous testing protocol. As is true for nearly any scientific measurement, there is a possibility that the test measurement may be less than or greater than the actual RF emitted by the phone. This difference between the RF test measurement and actual RF emission is because test measurements are limited by instrument accuracy, because test measurement and actual use environments are different, and other variable factors. This inherent variability is known as "measurement uncertainty." When FCC conducts postgrant testing of a cell phone, FCC takes into account any measurement uncertainty to determine whether regulatory action is appropriate. This approach ensures that when FCC takes regulatory action, it will have a sound, defensible scientific basis. FDA scientific staff reviewed the methodology used by FCC to measure cell phone RF, and agreed it is an acceptable approach, given our current understanding of the risks presented by cellular phone RF emissions. RF emissions from cellular phones have not been shown to present a risk of injury to the user when the measured SAR is less than the safety limits set by FCC (an SAR of 1.6 w/kg). Even in a case where the maximum measurement uncertainty permitted by current measurement standards was added to the maximum permissible SAR, the resulting SAR value would be well below any level known to produce an acute effect. Consequently, FCC's approach with measurement uncertainty will not result in consumers being exposed to any known risk from the RF emitted by cellular telephones. FDA will continue to monitor studies and literature reports concerning acute effects of cell phone RF, and concerning chronic effects of longterm exposure to cellular telephone RF (that is, the risks from using a cell phone for many years). If new information leads FDA to believe that a change to FCC's measurement policy may be appropriate, FDA will contact FCC and both agencies will work together to develop a mutually acceptable approach. Updated July 29, 2003 Message from the CTIA (The Wireless Association) © 2006 Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. Chapter 16 73