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ANCOM Survey: Citizens’ perceptions regarding EMF and 5G

 24.02.2021 

 

”In the digital age, providing accurate and complete information to the citizens is of special importance and requires awareness of the existing perceptions. Amidst the growing interest in the new technologies and electromagnetic (EMF) radiation, we have conducted a survey to find out the citizens’ perceptions and degree of information on these topics. One of the findings is that only a quarter of the respondents know that EMF levels are permanently measured in Romania. Furthermore, 55% of those who have heard of 5G deem that they will probably use this technology in the next 2-3 years. That is why we have launched Bite-sized 5G  – a web page available to all those interested, offering objective and verified information about the new mobile technology”, declared ANCOM vice-president Eduard LOVIN during a workshop. The survey carried out for ANCOM is available in full, in Romanian, here.

Citizens' attitude towards technology and EMF

While 37% of the surveyed respondents say they are passionate about technology, 14% experience technophobia, and 49% are neutral about it. Respondents identify mobile phones, mobile phone antennas and high-voltage power lines as the main sources of electromagnetic (EMF) radiation. They point to increasing internet speeds, the emergence of 5G and the coronavirus pandemic as the main reasons for their concern about radiation. At the same time, the study shows that, in Romania, the main sources of information on the possible effects of radiation are television or radio (64%), various websites (54%), and discussions with family or friends (40%) or social networks (39%).

Bite-sized 5G

The survey also shows that 5G awareness has reached 62%, but also that 48% of the respondents believe that 5G networks radiate significantly more than 4G, although most of them know that 5G technology relies on frequencies that are already in use for providing communications services. Not to mention the lower powers involved compared to previous technologies, as indicated by standards and by our own measurements. More interestingly, over 60% of those who have heard of 5G are worried about the spread of fake news on the new mobile technology. For them and for all those interested in accurate, objective and verified information that is constantly updated by the Authority, we have created the page "Bite-sized 5G ", available within the ANCOM InfoCentre", said Eduard LOVIN, ANCOM vice-president.

The "Bite-sized 5G" section includes various pieces of information on the implementation of the fifth generation of mobile communications technology, estimated to become the dominant technology in global mobile communications around 2025. The topics approached range from how the technology works and what are the benefits of monitoring the electromagnetic field to details on the organization of the spectrum auction for the implementation of 5G in Romania.

”5G commercial services were launched by the operators on the Romanian market in the first half of 2019 using the frequency usage licences for the radio frequency spectrum in the 3.4 - 3.8 GHz band they already held, which had been awarded following the auction organized by the Authority in 2015. ANCOM issues technology-neutral licences, that is, the provision of electronic communications services is not bound to using a certain technology”, explained Bogdan IANA, ANCOM vice-president.

EMF measurement

The survey reveals that 55% of Romanians do not know that the level of electromagnetic field radiation has been permanently measured in Romania, for more than 10 years.

ANCOM constantly monitors the intensity of the electromagnetic field generated by the broadcasting stations (antennas) used for the provision of radio, TV and mobile telephony services (including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) or by other radiocommunication stations used for the provision of other types of electronic communications.

The Authority’s 150 fixed monitoring sensors are located in Bucharest and 103 other localities across the country, in public areas close to clusters of radio emission sources. The sensors work permanently, transmitting the measurement results to the platform www.monitor-emf.ro, once every 24 hours, displayed in the form of a map that also provides details on the place, period and measured level of electromagnetic field intensity, this level being expressed as an absolute value, but also as a percentage of the regulated maximum allowed levels. In addition to the permanent monitoring of the electromagnetic field by fixed sensors, according to the annual measurement plan, ANCOM also performs measurements with mobile equipment in over 2,400 measurement points, the results of which are available here. The results of the measurements carried out for over 10 years by ANCOM with the two types of systems (equipment) show that the emissions from Romania are far below the maximum limits established at national and European level.

Further useful info

ANCOM will continue to measure the EMF radiation levels and to publish measurement results. Moreover, it will keep surveying the citizens’ perception on the radiation generated by these fields.

In Romania, exposure to electromagnetic fields is regulated by law, according to the practices adopted in the European Union and recommended by the United Nations. Thus, the Order of the Minister of Public Health no. 1193/2006 approving the Rules on limiting the exposure of population to electromagnetic fields ranging from 0 Hz to 300 GHz sets the same protection level as that provided in Recommendation 1999/519/EC on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz), a reference document for all the EU Member States, endorsed by the Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

 

In this context, institutions under the Ministry of Health, such as The National Institute of Public Health, are the entities enabled to interpret - from a public health perspective - the results in ANCOM’s electromagnetic field measurement reports. According to the legal duties incumbent on ANCOM under Government Emergency Ordinance no.22/2009 on the establishment of the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications, the Authority’s activity is limited to technical analysis and expertise on the use of radio frequencies, in order to ensure radio electric compatibility of authorized radiocommunication stations and networks, to prevent harmful interference on the radio spectrum with non-governmental use.