Abstract

Abstract Overview

This study explores the assessment of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) base stations within a functioning network in Bern, Switzerland. Key focuses include the investigation of four base station sites and the in-depth look at the exposure induced by NR MaMIMO antennas across various distances.

Key Findings

• Measurement at 22 positions near base stations ranging from 30 m to 410 m distances.
• The NR base stations operated on 3.6 GHz with codebook-based beamforming.
• Under scenarios without induced traffic, exposure levels were minimal (<0.05 V/m) due to low traffic loads and antenna powers up to 8 W.
• Densely trafficked settings showed higher, but still limited, exposure levels up to 0.4 V/m time-averaged.
• Maximum extrapolated exposure levels reached up to 0.6 V/m under maximum downlink conditions.

Conclusion

This initial assessment within a commercial 5G network shows minimal impact on total environmental RF-EMF exposure, representing just a few percent of the overall RF-EMF with full traffic scenarios. An effective extrapolation method was also demonstrated that does not rely on pre-existing network or manufacturing data, validated with actual antenna radiation patterns.