Abstract

Overview

The deployment of 5G networks is sometimes questioned due to the impact of ElectroMagnetic Field (EMF) generated by Radio Base Station (RBS) on users. This study introduces a novel framework, 5G-EA, to analyze EMF exposure from 5G smartphones compared to the RBS in commercial deployments.

Findings

• The novel measurement algorithm in 5G-EA allows for precise comparisons between EMF exposures from smartphones and RBS, controlling a programmable spectrum analyzer remotely.
• Results indicate that EMF exposure from smartphones dominates over RBS, particularly in uplink traffic scenarios and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) locations.
• Exposures are significantly lower in Line-of-Sight (LOS) conditions by an order of magnitude.
• Despite the emphasis on 5G, a maximum of 38% of the smartphone's EMF exposure is attributed to 5G, with the majority stemming from 4G due to carrier aggregation.

Conclusion

The study confirms that smartphone-generated EMF is the dominant source of exposure in 5G networks, especially under specific conditions like high uplink traffic and NLOS contexts. It suggests the potential for developing new EMF exposure estimators based on maximum UL traffic reporting from the smartphone, which could revolutionize how exposures are assessed and managed in 5G networks.