MOA joins HPA EMF discussion group
01 March 2006
Mike Dolan, Executive Director of the Mobile Operators Association, has accepted an invitation from Health Protection Agency (HPA) chairman, Sir William Stewart, to participate in a meeting of an electromagnetic frequency discussion group to be held on 2 March. HPA staff, scientists, representatives from industry and environmentally interested groups will take part in discussions about exposures to electromagnetic fields from sources such as powerlines, electrical appliances and mobile telecommunications equipment.
He said: “This initiative by Sir William Stewart will bring together industry, scientists from HPA and environmentally interested groups to discuss informally how the HPA gives advice and addresses public concerns. The HPA already undertakes a substantial programme of engagement with the public through its website, public information print material and meetings with the public; the discussion group will form part of this work.”
He added: “The mobile phone operators would encourage the HPA to assist the public’s understanding of the science of electromagnetic fields by explaining the findings of the high quality research being carried out in the UK, on powerlines, electrical equipment and mobile telephony. In a time when increasingly complex technology is part of our everyday lives public understanding of the science behind the technology is one of the challenges faced by Government, scientists and industry.”
Notes to Editors
1. The Mobile Operators Association (MOA), formerly the FEI, was set up to represent the five UK mobile phone network operators - 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone - on radio frequency health and planning issues. The MOA website is: www.mobilemastinfo.com
2. For more information please contact Christine Jude 020 7331 2029, 020 7331 2029, 07714 241924, 07714 241924, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
4 Million Mobile Broadband Connections
Mobile phones cannot work without a network of base stations (masts). There are approximately 52,500 base stations in the UK. An Ipsos MORI survey for MOA (May 2010) showed that almost three quarters of people understood that masts are essential if they are to access the services they require. Mobile telecommunications are vital for the UK’s economic competitiveness and in promoting social inclusion. There are now over 81 million mobile connections in the UK. Over 4.8 million customers now access mobile broadband services via a laptop and dongle, and 28 per cent of UK adults use their mobile phones for internet access.
No Established Health Effects
Mobile phones operate by using radio waves, similar to those that have been widely used for decades, for example in radio, TV and radar signals. A large number of studies over the last two decades have found no clear evidence of adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones or from phone masts.