Govt relaxes radiation limits for 5G towers to boost coverage: Report

The government has eased the electromagnetic field (EMF) limits for mobile networks to bring them in line with global standards, allowing telecom operators to cover larger areas with fewer towers in a bid to maintain quality of service amid rising 5G traffic, the Economic Times reported on Saturday.

The revised EMF or radiation rules will come into effect next month and double the permitted power density for a 5G base tower station (BTS) to 10 watt per square metre from 5 watts at present. The move is expected to help signals travel longer distances, allowing service providers to extend coverage from each site and reduce network expansion costs. EMF limits govern the maximum radio-frequency energy that mobile network equipment can emit.

Why has the government raised the EMF limit?

The relaxation has been a long-pending demand of the telecom industry, which has argued that the earlier limits were hampering efficient 5G coverage.

India has for years followed much stricter radiation emission norms than those recommended by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which advises the World Health Organisation and government agencies on the health and environmental effects of EMF.

The country was initially following a power density limit of 1 watt/sq. m., which was revised to 5 watts/sq.m. last year. The latest move will raise the limit to 10 watts/sq.m., in line with the level recommended by ICNIRP.

How will the new rules affect telecom operators?

The higher limit is expected to allow operators to cover larger areas from each tower, potentially reducing the number of sites required for network expansion and lowering costs.

The development is likely to be particularly helpful for Vodafone Idea, which is in the process of rolling out 5G services and can now plan its network based on the higher limits, reported Economic Times, citing people aware of the matter. Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, which have already deployed much of their 5G networks, are also expected to benefit from lower incremental capital expenditure and more efficient use of their existing sites.

How do India’s EMF norms compare globally?

The new 10 watt limit is in line with norms followed in around 137 countries, including most European Union countries, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

ICNIRP provides guidelines on the environmental and health effects of exposure to EMF. Around 135 countries follow ICNIRP norms. India adopted the ICNIRP norms in 2008 but made them more stringent in 2012.

The earlier rules were considered adequate for 2G, 3G and 4G networks to an extent, but telecom companies have argued that the same limits are not suitable for 5G because of significant differences in the technology and standards. To address this, the government had undertaken a partial relaxation of the norms last year.