Wi-Fi and Health
Wi-Fi Alliance takes any concern about the alleged health impact of Wi-Fi technology seriously. A range of scientific research undertaken to-date concludes there is no evidence that low-power wireless networks pose health threats to users or to the general public. Wi-Fi technology meets all national and international safety requirements and emits signals that are typically hundreds to thousands of times below international safety limits.
- The World Health Organization has reviewed the various bodies of research that have been conducted and has concluded that, due to the research results and the very low exposure levels associated with Wi-Fi, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak radio frequency signals from wireless networks cause adverse health effects. You can find more information from the World Health Organization by clicking on the following link: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html
- An independent and comprehensive study sponsored by Wi-Fi Alliance and conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in March 2007 took 356 measurements at 55 Wi-Fi sites in four countries, under conditions involving higher than normal exposures. The study found RF fields from Wi-Fi in typical environments operate far below exposure guidelines. In all cases, the measured Wi-Fi signal levels were very far below international exposure limits (IEEE C95.1-1992 and ICNIRP) and in nearly all cases far below other RF signals in the same environments. You can find the details of the study on the following link: http://hps.org/hpspublications/articles/wirelessnetworks.html
- The Health Protection Agency does not consider there to be problems with the safety of Wi-Fi. For more information visit the following link: http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiation/UnderstandingRadiationTopics
Wi-Fi is at the center of today’s connected experience. Already a network of choice in an estimated 201 million households 1 and countless enterprises and schools worldwide, Wi-Fi continues to expand as the technology of choice for traditional home, government and business networks, as well as in industries such as smart energy, transportation and health care. Nearly a billion Wi-Fi devices have shipped to-date 2 and the technology is increasingly a part of people’s everyday lives, allowing users to connect with each other where they want, when they want.
Due to the ubiquity of Wi-Fi technology, questions about the safety of radio waves and Wi-Fi devices tend to arise from time to time. The wireless industry takes these concerns very seriously. The following brochure is designed to answer questions about the health and safety aspects of Wi-Fi and to share the research findings of reputable, global public health institutions on this topic.
1 Parks Associates, «Networks in the Home: Global Growth; A Report for the Wi-Fi Alliance».
2 ABI Research, December 2010
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Wi fi and health
Wi-Fi, smart meters and similar low-powered telecommunication devices use radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) to transmit information over short distances (up to around 100 meters). The levels of RF-EMF emitted by these devices is very low and well below recommended exposure limits (EMF Guidelines). There is no established scientific evidence that exposure to RF-EMF at these low levels adversely affects the health of the general population, including children.
Wi-Fi
What is WiFi?
Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, is a technology which allows high-speed wireless connection between devices over short distances, such as a laptop and a Wi-Fi router or modem. They allow access to services such as internet without using cables (wirelessly). Wi-Fi networks are common in domestic as well as public indoor and outdoor environments (buildings such as offices and schools, streets and parks etc). Wi-Fi is the most popular technology used within wireless local area networks (WLAN). These networks require all connected devices, such as Wi-Fi routers and laptops, to have one or more antennas that emit and receive RF-EMF.
Wi-Fi devices typically use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency bands. Dual-band Wi-Fi devices emit RF-EMF in both frequencies. The so-called 5G Wi-Fi, not to be confused with the new mobile 5G technology [Link to our page on 5G], uses the 5 GHz band and provides higher and faster data transfer (bandwidth) but has a shorter range (~10m indoors and ~30m outdoors), compared with the more common 2.4 GHz band which can reach ~30m indoors and ~100m outdoors.
Is Wi-Fi regulated in Ireland?
Wi-Fi and other WLAN technologies operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands are “licence exempt”, which means that these frequencies can be freely used and shared by users. Compliance with specific international (IEEE), European (ETSI) and Irish (NSAI) Standards ensures that problems of compatibility and interference are avoided, and that RF emissions comply with the recommendations issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). At the national level, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) requires compliance with maximum transmit power, which for devices operating indoors is 100 mW at the frequency band of 2.4 GHz and 200 mW for the 5 GHz band. Limiting the maximum transmit power ensures that RF levels from these devices remain below the ICNIRP recommended exposure limits.
RF-EMF exposure levels from Wi-Fi
Measurements carried out in various countries show that RF-EMF levels from Wi-Fi devices are very low and well below the recommended exposure limits issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) (EMF Guidelines). Typical exposure levels indoors range between ~2 V/m at 1m and ~5 V/m at half a meter from the Wi-Fi router. Users of outdoor Wi-Fi networks are usually several metres from the devices. Therefore, exposure levels from Wi-Fi outdoors are typically below 1 V/m. These values are well below the recommended exposure limits for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (61 V/m).
Smart Meters
Smart meters allow real-time recording, management and transmission of consumption information such as gas and electricity. In Ireland, smart meters are being rolled out throughout the country by ESB Networks since 2019. It is expected that every premise will have a new smart electricity meter by 2024 (see CRU website on smart metering for more details).
RF exposure levels from Smart Meters
Smart meters use various technologies to monitor electricity and/or gas consumption, which involve networking several devices in the household premises. Smart meters also transmit and receive data wirelessly from and to a central server. Connections with other devices within the house typically use Wi-Fi like signals. Wireless signals similar to 2G mobile technology (text messaging) are used to communicate with the central server. Measurements carried out in various countries show that exposure levels from smart meters range between 8 V/m at 30cm and 3 V/m at 2m from the device. The EMF levels are even lower several metres from the devices. These values are well below the recommended exposure limits for the frequencies used by these devices (41-58 V/m).
What is known about the health effects from exposure to Wi-Fi, smart meters and similar RF devices?
People using Wi-Fi equipment, such as routers or modems, and Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as phones or laptops, are exposed to the RF signals emitted by these devices.
However, the levels of RF-EMF emitted by these wireless devices is very low and well below the recommended exposure limits issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Therefore, it is the assessment of the World Health Organization (WHO) and most Public Health Agencies worldwide that the there are no established health effects associated with exposure to the RF emissions from Wi-Fi and smart meters.