5G NR Base Station Exposure of the General Public: Comparison of Assessment Methods

Abstract

Overview

New measurement methods and equipment proposed for correct 5G New Radio (NR) EMF in-situ exposure assessment focus on two types of exposure: instantaneous time-averaged exposure (Eavg) and maximum extrapolated field exposure (Emax).

Findings

• In-situ measurements were conducted around 5G NR base stations in various countries.
• Maximum electric field values adhered to the ICNIRP 2020 standards, peaking at 7.7%.
• Differences between Emax and Eavg are less than 3 dB when only self-generated traffic is present.
• In more realistic scenarios with multiple users, utilizing Eavg fails to accurately assess exposure due to the influenced spatial distribution of user equipment.
• A broadband measurement provides a preliminary RF-EMF exposure insight up to 700 meters, though it is limited in assessing comprehensive 5G-NR exposure.

Conclusion

This study recommends Emax over Eavg for exposure assessment in high-traffic scenarios owing to its reliability regardless of the user equipment's spatial arrangement.

Future Work

The future research aims to test these methods in higher traffic settings and expand to the 5G-NR frequency range 2 (FR2), involving mm-waves, expecting more traffic and higher bandwidth requirements.