Study conducted by NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank Mobile

Jan 24, 2007 11:06 GMT  ·  By

Studies conducted by the Japanese mobile phone operators NTT DoCoMo, KDDI Corporation and SoftBank Mobile Corporation have confirmed that radio frequency energy from mobile phone base stations does not cause damage to human cells.

Since November 2002, the companies have been collaborating to examine the effects of radio waves. As part of the collaboration, large-scale experiments have been conducted at the cellular and genetic level using radio waves up to 10 times stronger than the limit set forth in radio frequency radiation protection guidelines for base stations. In a report released on April 26, 2005, the companies announced they had found no effects on cell proliferation, gene expression profile, or DNA single-strand breaks. Now they have found there are no genetic alterations or protein functions that could be associated with cell transformation or programmed cell death. Based on these findings, the operators have concluded that they could not find adverse health effects caused by the radio waves from mobile phone base stations.

The research used an in vitro exposure system developed by NTT DoCoMo that incorporated a horn antenna and dielectric lens in an anechoic chamber. The exposure system generates 2GHz-band Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) modulated-signal RF fields that meet the IMT-2000 specifications for third-generation mobile communications.

Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute, a specialized research institution, conducted the experiments on behalf of the operators. Detailed studies of this joint research have been published in the annual report of the Bioelectromagnetics (BEMS) international academic society and other publications during the last three years.