Electromagnetic Field-Aware Radio Resource Management for 5G and Beyond: A Survey (Review)

Authors: Salem MA, Lim HS, Diong KS, Alaghbari KA, Zarakovitis CC, Chien SF

Year: 2025

Category: Telecommunications / Wireless Communications / EMF Safety

Journal: Computers

DOI: 10.3390/computers14020051

URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/2/51

Abstract

Overview

The expansion of 5G infrastructure and the deployment of large antenna arrays are set to substantially influence electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure levels within mobile networks. As a result, the accurate measurement of EMF exposure and the integration of EMF exposure constraints into radio resource management are expected to become increasingly important in future mobile communication systems.

Findings

  • This paper provides a comprehensive review of EMF exposure evaluation frameworks for 5G networks, considering:
    • The impacts of high-energy beams
    • The millimeter wave spectrum
    • Network densification
    • Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs)
  • The study examines EMF-aware radio resource management strategies for 5G networks and beyond, with RIS technology as an assistive factor.

Challenges & Open Research Topics

  • Challenges and open research topics in the EMF evaluation framework and EMF-aware resource management for 5G mobile networks and beyond are highlighted.
  • There is a research gap in addressing specific EMF exposure considerations associated with RIS deployments.
  • The impact of EMF-aware radio resource allocation approaches on RIS-assisted 5G networks is still not fully understood.

Conclusion

The review underlines the necessity for more focused research into EMF exposure from emerging 5G and RIS technologies, given the potential links to health risks from increased electromagnetic fields—especially as new network architectures evolve.

EMF exposure 5G radio resource management reconfigurable intelligent surfaces RF safety mobile networks health risk
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