Re: PHONES - THREAT TO HEARING AID USERS

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From: "Brock N. Meeks" <brock () well sf ca us>
To: farber () central cis upenn edu, interesting-people () eff org
Subject: Re:  PHONES - THREAT TO HEARING AID USERS
Date:   Sat, 11 Sep 1993 12:50:31 -0700


This article about the interference problems with digital cellular
phones brings up an extremely interesting issue.  


To some extent, the comments from Vodafone are entirely characteristic
of the service providers:  It's not our problems... let the manufacturers
carry the ball on this one.


Indeed, this is where the U.S. handheld cellular phone folks have
been squeezed this year with all the concern arising from RF radiation
levels emitted by these phones.  (And for those that simply believe
this is a "scare" I can tell you from more than 3 months of intensive
research on this issue, as well as continuing to review the literature
from the scientific world on this issue, there's *nothing* conclusive
that these phones are safe.  And I'll put that statement against
any and all comers... )


You see, here in the U.S. we've had an exclusion clause in the radiation
level guidelines:  Any device operation under 7 watts *didn't have to
pass ANY certification* to be sold or approved by the FCC.  Therefore,
cellular phones, which typically operate under 7W were automatically
*assumed* to be safe (that word is drawn directly from the older ANSI
guidelines).


The ONLY company that's done any testing on their phones is Motorola.  
Everyone else just bagged the whole issue.  Why spend the money if you
don't have to, right?  


In fact, in my investigation on this issue, I've come to learn that
Motorola leaned *very hard* on the ANSI setting body to have that
exclusion clause put in there... they drove that issue so much that
it's actually known as the "Motorola Clause" with industry insiders.


But all that's going away.  The ANSI was pushed to rush out approval
of much tougher standards when the "cellular cancer" issue hit the
mainstream media.  The FCC quickly adopted the tougher standard.  


It includes a time bomb.


Every device that has an irradiating sturcture (the antenna) that operates
within 2.5 centimeters of the head *must now be fully tested and certified
before the FCC will approve it*.  


Bottom line, manufacturers now have to start testing their phones.


Okay, new chapter:  digital celluar phones.


In it's own documents on the RF radiation issue, the FCC clearly states
that there could be health concerns surrouding the signals emitted from
*digital cellular phones* for exactly the reasons stated in the 
_Independent_ article.  The radio waves are plused and as we've seen,
the cause problems analog phones never had.


This is a good issue and one I've already been investigating for my
own publication... I'll have my own article out on this subject soon.


Brock Meeks
Reporter
Communications Daily