A project done under the guidance & supervision of Consumer Education & Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad.

1. PROJECT ON
MOBILE TOWER
SUBMITTED TO
CONSUMER EDUCATION & RESEARCH CENTRE
8TH
DECEMBER 2015
BY:
NISHU P. VORA

2. HARSHUL N. VAGHELA
DARSHAN R. KABRA
MoBILE/CELL TOWERS
 INTRODUCTION
A cell site or cell tower or Mobile Tower is a cellular telephone
site where antennae and electronic communications equipment
are placed, usually on a radio mast, tower or other high place, to
create a cell (or adjacent cells) in a cellular network.
In Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks,
the correct term is Base Transceiver Station (BTS), and
colloquial synonyms are "mobile phone mast" or "base station".
In simple terms, Mobile towers help mobile phones and other
devices to function by providing waves and signal.
 RANGE
A cell phone may not work at times because it is too far from a
mast, or because the phone is in a location where cell phone signals
are limited by thick building walls, hills, or other structures. The
signals do not need a clear line of sight but greater radio
interference will degrade or eliminate reception.

3. The working of the range of a Cell Site (the range which mobile
devices connect reliably to the cell site) is not a fixed figure. It
depends on number of factors -
 Height of antenna over surrounding terrain (Line-of-sight
propagation i.e. horizontal face to face transmission without any
obstacle).
 The frequency of signal in use.
 Timing limitations in some technologies (e.g., GSM is limited to
35 km, with 70 km being possible with special equipment)
 The transmitter's rated power
 The required uplink/downlink data rate of the subscriber's
device
 The directional characteristics of the site antenna array.
 Reflection and absorption of radio energy by buildings or
vegetation.
 It may also be limited by local geographical or regulatory
factors and weather conditions.
 LIMITATIONS AND HEALTH EFFECTS
One of the most concerned aspects about this topic is its harmful
effects to the population leaving near to these mobile towers and
the users of electronic gadgets (mainly mobile/cell phones). We
know that millions of people suffer skin cancer from the Ultra
Violet rays (emitting from sun) but many of us still don’t know
that the rays and radiations emitted from such mobile towers and
cell phones are also harmful and may lead to many diseases.
Telecommunication workers who spend time at a short distance
from the active equipment, for the purposes of testing,
maintenance, installation, etcetera, may be at risk of much
greater exposure than the general population.
Because you’re exposed to 100 million times more
Electromagnetic (EMF) radiation than your grandparents

4. were, and cell towers are making that number grow
exponentially. If you can make a call on your cell phone, then
you’re in an area that’s saturated with cell site microwave
radiation.
Some of the most powerful cell tower installations are on
mountains and hilltops outside of urban areas.
A CLOSER LOOK AT CELL TOWER EXPOSURE –
 Radio masts - Smaller versions of cell towers, often seen on
rooftops and billboards, typically installed 800-1300 feet apart.
 Mobile towers - Sometimes installed on the tops of buildings.
Mobile towers are also used where there have been natural
disasters, or when large numbers of people are temporarily
expected (i.e. a major sports event). Mobile towers are
especially dangerous because they emit microwaves at a
frequency of 1900 MHz. Recent studies have shown that the

5. intense radioactivity from mobile phone towers adversely
impacts every biological organism within 1 square kilometer.
The human body itself is electromagnetic (at a very low level—around
10 hertz). It’s been shown that each one of our cells has its own
electromagnetic field (EMF). Maintaining balance in those cellular
EMFs is critical to staying healthy.
Decades of studies have demonstrated that artificial frequencies
higher than 10 hertz can create stress and serious health problems.
Cell phone tower wavelengths, microwaves have a significantly
higher frequency than even radio waves. The higher the frequency,
the more powerful the wave and the more powerful effect on
biological organisms (Mobile tower emit microwaves at 1900 MHz).
These higher energy waves can actually destroy chemical and
molecular bonds, creating chaos in our basic biochemical structures.
EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY & CROPS/PLANTS – (SURVEYS,
JUDGEMENTS ETC)
Navigation skills of the birds and earth's magnetic system are
correlated. Natural electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and the earth-
oriented magnetic vibration are directly proportional, whereas
technology-induced EMR is inversely proportional. Birds are good
ecological indicators for low-intensity electromagnetic radiation, they
have thin skulls, their feathers can act as dielectric receptors of
microwave radiation, many species use magnetic navigation and
microwaves can interfere with their sensors and misguide them while
navigating and preying.

6. Studies indicate that short-term exposure of pulsed mobile phone
radiation with carrier frequency 900 MHz reduced the reproductive
capacity of insects by 60%.
According to a survey in 2010, the number of house sparrows (Passer
domesticus) has declined in coastal areas, including Kerala, by 80%
and by 2003 the sparrows had almost disappeared from the capital
city.
In 2012, The Hon’ble Rajasthan High Court had ordered mobile
companies of the country having towers erected in Rajasthan to
relocate them away from schools, hospitals, colleges and playground
within two months. It was also backed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court
of India.
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES IN INDIA
India has adopted safety standards on permissible exposure level from
mobile handsets & mobile base stations as a precautionary measure to
reduce the possible impact of EMF radiation on human health. The
prescribed standards and guidelines in respect of mobile handsets and
mobile base station are:
MOBILE HANDSETS
• SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) level for mobile handsets: 1.6 Watt
/Kg averaged over 1 gm of tissue.
• All new design of mobile handsets shall be with the SAR values of
1.6 W/kg averaged over 1 gram tissue effective 1st Sept. 2012.
However, the mobile handsets with existing designs which are

7. compliant with 2.0 W/kg averaged over 10 gram tissue, continue to
co-exist up to 31st August 2013.
• From 1st Sept. 2013, only the mobile handsets with revised SAR
value of 1.6W/kg would be permitted to be manufactured or imported
in India.
• SAR test laboratory is being set up in the Telecom Engineering
Centre (TEC) for testing of SAR value of mobile handsets
imported/manufactured in India and to audit the self certification
furnished by the manufacturers/ importers.
• SAR level shall be displayed on the handset.
• All cell phone handsets sold in the market in India shall comply with
relevant standards and shall be with hand free devices.
• SAR value information of the mobile handsets shall be available on
the manufacturer's web site & in the handset's manual. The
information on SAR values shall be made available to the consumer at
the point of sale.
• Mobile hand set manufactured and sold in India or Imported from
other countries shall be checked for compliance of SAR limit.
• The manufacturers in India shall provide self declaration of SAR
value of the handset. In respect of imported handset from other
countries, manufacturers apart from self declaration of SAR shall
specify the SAR information in user documents for verification by the
appropriate authority. Suitable amendments in the Indian Telegraph
Rule under Indian Telegraph Act 1885 are being enacted for strict
compliance.
• Manufacturer's mobile handset booklet shall contain the safety
`precautions.

8. • List of SAR values of different mobile phones shall be uploaded on
DoT/TEC website. Some of the important guidelines (effective from
1st August 2013) are:
 The prescribed limit for radiation is 450 milliwatts/sq mt for 900
MHz (1 W/sq mt for 2100 MHz and above). The fine to the cell
tower operator for exceeding this limit is Rs 5 Lakhs.
 There would be maximum RF power of 20 W per antennae.
 Local Municipal body may seek NOC from roof-top.
 There would be no building directly in front of a ground based
or roof-top antenna, as per distances specified below:
Number of antennae pointed
in the same direction
As per DoT guidelines and
BMC regulations –
Building/structure safe
distance from antennae from
the same height (mts.)
1 20 m
2 35 m
4 45 m
6 55 m
MOBILE BASE STATIONS
Radio waves from base stations in India comply with international
health and safety guidelines. The exposure limit for the radio
frequency field (Base station) emissions prescribed by the Department
of Telecom, Government of India, is as below:
• The prescribed safe RF exposure limit is f/2000 (in India), where f is
in MHz. Exposure limits in India are:
At 900 MHz, power density is 0.45 watt/m2 &
At 1800 MHz, power density is 0.9 watt/m2

9. • Provision for continuous online monitoring and display of radiation
level in mobile network frequency range at prominent places in
metro/cities and ONLINE data transfer to the central server.
• The mobile service providers apart from self-certification for
compliance of radiation norms on EMF exposure shall measure the
radiation level of prominent places in mobile network frequency
range and have portable EMF measuring instrument for measurement
wherever necessary for information of general public.
• A national data base with the information of all base stations, their
emission compliance status (i.e. compliant / non-compliant) to be
made available on DoT website for public information.
• New technology low power transmitters shall be installed with in-
building solutions for the future expansion of telecom network in the
country.

10. CONCLUSION & UNDERSTANDING
In the above prepared project, we have understood that these
radiations emitted from mobile towers and even mobile phones are
too harmful for living beings and it has been proved through
research’s and surveys. However, some surveys and authorities say
that it is not harmful if it is below the regulatory standard which is not
at all true. These standards and limits have been set keeping in mind
the bearable limit by human beings and we cannot escape from it
completely. However, harm can be reduced if certain precautions are
taken given by World Health Organisation & Telecommunications
Department, Government of India.

11. SUMMARY
This project contains introduction on Mobile/Cell Towers, its range of
radiations, effects on living beings and its fatal consequences. It also
contains regulations, guidelines and standards prescribed by the
Government and other authorities. Thus, we cannot save ourselves
completely from these harmful radiations but we can adapt and can
come out with better solutions. Keeping cell phones away while
sleeping and when not in use, protesting against companies which
erect mobile towers nearby to residential areas and above buildings
can help us in solving the issue.
India's safety factor is 10 times stiffer than in 90 per cent
countries that follow standards set by the International
Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection.
- Business Standard

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/Annexures/advertisement_0.pdf
2. http://www.safespaceprotection.com/electrostress-from-cell-towers.aspx
3. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/294813/no-mobile-towers-near-
schools.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health