The National Communications Authority (NCA) has said it has taken measures to ensure the the public is protected from the effects of radiations.

The NCA said as part of its consumer protection mandate, it has established a Type Approval laboratory with test and measurement equipment for Radio Frequencies (RF), Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) (See attached pictures).

The laboratory undertakes measurements to ascertain the safety of mobile devices (phones, tablets, etc) and field measurements of radiations from mobile base stations at frequencies below 6GHz which is the range of frequencies for 2G, 3G and 4G in Ghana, according to the regulator in a statement issued on Thursday April 9.

Further stating that future 5G deployments in Ghana will also utilize some frequencies below 6GHz as well as higher frequencies and within safe limits.

The measurements taken by the NCA clearly indicate that the non-ionizing radiations from mobile base stations are even more stringent and safer than those set by the International

Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which is the international body responsible for safe use of non-ionizing radiation.

Additionally, in 2019, the NCA contracted independent private agencies to audit all base station masts/towers in Ghana for structural integrity and to assess the level of radiations from all the sites. The audit reports confirmed that radiation levels are significantly lower than the ICNIRP reference levels.

The NCA said also that it has taken note of recent widespread rumours about 5G technology and its alleged link with the COVID-19 virus.

Describing the rumuor as misinformation, the NCA stated that “there is absolutely no link between 5G technology and COVID-19. The public is therefore advised to disregard the misleading videos and audios circulating on social media.”

The statement explained that the First Generation (1G) wireless mobile technology was analogue which was launched in Ghana in March 1991.

It enabled customers to make voice calls on a hand-held telephonewhile on the move, an improvement over stationary telephone sets. It was soon followed by Second Generation (2G) digital mobile technology which, in addition to voice calls, enabled Text Messaging (SMS) and a very limited amount of data to be sent over the Internet although it was rather slow.

Further innovations led to the introduction of Third Generation (3G) mobile technology enabling mobile Internet access and browsing, and transmission of images and videos at substantial speeds to facilitate messaging, video calling and mobile television.

Fourth generation (4G) came with even faster internet data speeds to improve the consumer experience.

Operators in Ghana continue to expand access to both 3G and 4G technology.

The fifth generation (5G) is the next generation of mobile technology which has not yet been deployed in Ghana.

However, it promises significantly higher internet data speeds which will enable innovative products and services in agriculture, transportation, education, health, security and commerce.

All generations of mobile cellular technology (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G) operate on radio frequencies (RF). These frequencies are not visible, but they exist in the atmosphere; they are what enable radio and television stations to transmit news and information to us. They generate non-ionizing radiation which pose no harm to human beings.

There have been over 50 years of scientific research about the potential health risk associated with radiations from radio frequency signals and telecommunication installations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that no evidence has been found to conclude that exposure to RF radiations are harmful to human health despite extensive research to date. RF radiations from FM radio and TV broadcasting signals have not caused any health hazards despite the many years of human exposure to them. Comparing the characteristics of the RF radiations from 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G base stations and handsets to that of FM radio and TV, the NCA does not expect any harm to human health.

In Ghana, the Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) works with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NCA, and the telecommunications industry to ensure that electromagnetic emissions from telecommunications infrastructure are within safe limits.