Mobiles, masts and health issues
The use of mobile phones has grown at a phenomenal rate, with more than 80 million handsets now active in the UK.
Without a network of masts we’d be unable to deliver the great social and economic benefits mobiles bring.
- we understand some people have health concerns related to mobiles and masts. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that there's no evidence to convince experts that using mobile devices and masts poses health risks
- when we build a mobile phone base station we're required to demonstrate that signal levels in all publicly accessible areas remain within the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) safety guidelines endorsed by the WHO and the UK Government
- these guidelines are set to ensure the safety of all members of society, including the very old and young. They were set by ICNIRP in 1998 and adopted in the UK in 2000. They're kept under constant review
- the UK Government decided that all base stations in the UK must adhere to these ICNIRP guidelines and that, if the guidelines were conformed with, no further health considerations were necessary
- research continues into mobile devices, masts and health. We're committed to supporting this work