Health and safety information
Exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) Signals
Certification Information (SAR)
Your wireless device is a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and manufactured
not to exceed the exposure limits for radio frequency (RF) energy set by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) of the U.S. government. These FCC exposure limits
are derived from the recommendations of two expert organizations, the National Counsel
on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) and the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In both cases, the recommendations were developed by
scientific and engineering experts drawn from industry, government, and academia after
extensive reviews of the scientific literature related to the biological effects of RF energy.
The exposure limit set by the FCC for wireless mobile devices employs a unit of
measurement known as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The SAR is a measure of
the rate of absorption of RF energy by the human body expressed in units of watts per
kilogram (W/kg). The FCC requires wireless devices to comply with a safety limit of 1.6
watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg). The FCC exposure limit incorporates a substantial margin
of safety to give additional protection to the public and to account for any variations in
measurements.
SAR tests are conducted using standard operating positions accepted by the FCC with
the device transmitting at its highest certified power level in all tested frequency bands.
Although the SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual SAR level
of the device while operating can be well below the maximum value. This is because the
device is designed to operate at multiple power levels so as to use only the power
required to reach the network. In general, the closer you are to a wireless base station
antenna, the lower the power output.
Before a new model device is available for sale to the public, it must be tested and
certified to the FCC that it does not exceed the exposure limit established by the
FCC. Tests for each model device are performed in positions and locations as required
by the FCC.
