Good point. Unless you are right next to a cell tower, you are much more likely to receive more cumulative RF radiation from your cell phone than a tower. The reason for this is RF power density drops as the *square* of the distance from the source. The power from that cell tower drops fast.
Good point. Unless you are right next to a cell tower, you are much more likely to receive more cumulative RF radiation from your cell phone than a tower. The reason for this is RF power density drops as the *square* of the distance from the source. The power from that cell tower drops fast.
It's why I always tell people to set their phone to wi-fi calling/data whenever possible. The phone uses something called adaptive power control and only put out the power needed to close the link. Since the wifi router is much closer than a typical cell tower, your phone will put out at least 100x lower power, even as much as 10,000x lower depending on how far away the cell tower is. Also, don't live or work next to a cell tower. (I'm an RF systems engineer by profession.)
Unfortunately that's difficult to answer as there are so many variables. For example, if you are at an elevated location (say in a high rise apartment) with the antenna across the street *and pointed right at you* that's really not good. Cell tower antennas are directive so the energy is focused in a particular direction.
If though, you are relatively close to a tower yet you are at ground level, the signal is actually pretty low as the antenna is designed to not radiate power downward but outward. Also, if there is stuff between the tower and you (like a building) it will also reduce exposure.
Bottom line though is we don't really know what's actually safe, and the current standards were developed in the 1960's and don't account for everything we've learned since then. I personally think they allow far more exposure than I'd like to accumulate, which is why I take steps to reduce it.
Phones can connect to the network using either your wireless plan (e.g. Verizon) or your local wifi router that you have in your home or office. The difference is that the wireless plan requires that you connect to a cell tower than can be up to a mile away with lots of stuff between you and it blocking the signal. Your cell phone can tell this as it gets a signal status from the cell tower. So your phone keeps cranking up the power (the strength of the signal it's transmitting) until it gets a message that the tower is receiving it adequately. This is really oversimplified but it's the basis of what's called adaptive power control.
Your wifi router on the other hand is likely no more than fifty feet away. As I mentioned above, the signal drops as the square of the distance. So in the example of the cell tower a mile away (5280 feet) versus the wifi router 50 feet away, the equation is 5280^2/50^2 = 11,151. That means your cell phone has to put out eleven thousand times more power to connect to that cell tower than the wifi router!! This will vary depending on how far away the cell tower is, but by routinely using wifi data/calling you will reduce exposure.
As with any poison, harm is determined by the duration of exposure and the *magnitude* of the exposure. Using wifi dramatically reduces the magnitude.
Good point. Unless you are right next to a cell tower, you are much more likely to receive more cumulative RF radiation from your cell phone than a tower. The reason for this is RF power density drops as the *square* of the distance from the source. The power from that cell tower drops fast.
It's why I always tell people to set their phone to wi-fi calling/data whenever possible. The phone uses something called adaptive power control and only put out the power needed to close the link. Since the wifi router is much closer than a typical cell tower, your phone will put out at least 100x lower power, even as much as 10,000x lower depending on how far away the cell tower is. Also, don't live or work next to a cell tower. (I'm an RF systems engineer by profession.)
Do you have any specifics in terms of distance and power drop from the cell tower? How close is too close?
Unfortunately that's difficult to answer as there are so many variables. For example, if you are at an elevated location (say in a high rise apartment) with the antenna across the street *and pointed right at you* that's really not good. Cell tower antennas are directive so the energy is focused in a particular direction.
If though, you are relatively close to a tower yet you are at ground level, the signal is actually pretty low as the antenna is designed to not radiate power downward but outward. Also, if there is stuff between the tower and you (like a building) it will also reduce exposure.
Bottom line though is we don't really know what's actually safe, and the current standards were developed in the 1960's and don't account for everything we've learned since then. I personally think they allow far more exposure than I'd like to accumulate, which is why I take steps to reduce it.
Can you clarify “to set their phone to wi-fi calling/data whenever possible”?
So are you saying we should turn our wi-fi ON on our cell phones? I keep hearing we should turn wi-fi OFF to reduce EMF.
Phones can connect to the network using either your wireless plan (e.g. Verizon) or your local wifi router that you have in your home or office. The difference is that the wireless plan requires that you connect to a cell tower than can be up to a mile away with lots of stuff between you and it blocking the signal. Your cell phone can tell this as it gets a signal status from the cell tower. So your phone keeps cranking up the power (the strength of the signal it's transmitting) until it gets a message that the tower is receiving it adequately. This is really oversimplified but it's the basis of what's called adaptive power control.
Your wifi router on the other hand is likely no more than fifty feet away. As I mentioned above, the signal drops as the square of the distance. So in the example of the cell tower a mile away (5280 feet) versus the wifi router 50 feet away, the equation is 5280^2/50^2 = 11,151. That means your cell phone has to put out eleven thousand times more power to connect to that cell tower than the wifi router!! This will vary depending on how far away the cell tower is, but by routinely using wifi data/calling you will reduce exposure.
As with any poison, harm is determined by the duration of exposure and the *magnitude* of the exposure. Using wifi dramatically reduces the magnitude.
Ok, I think I got it. Thanks.