ITUPublications International Telecommunication Union

Recommendations Standardization Sector

Supplement
ITU-T K Suppl. 16 (10/2022)

SERIES K: Protection against interference

Electromagnetic field compliance assessments

for 5G wireless networks
 Supplement 16 to ITU-T K-series Recommendations

Electromagnetic field compliance assessments for 5G wireless networks

Summary
Supplement 16 to the ITU-T K-series Recommendations provides guidance on the radio
frequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) compliance assessment considerations for the
International Mobile Telecommunication system (IMT-2020) wireless networks also known as 5th
generation of wireless networks (5G). Also, the 5G technical standards have been finalized and
commercial 5G networks are now launched in many countries.

History
Edition Recommendation Approval Study Group Unique ID*
1.0 ITU-T K Suppl. 16 2018-09-21 5 11.1002/1000/13795
2.0 ITU-T K Suppl. 16 2019-05-22 5 11.1002/1000/13938
3.0 ITU-T K Suppl. 16 2022-07-01 5 11.1002/1000/15079
4.0 ITU-T K Suppl. 16 2022-10-27 5 11.1002/1000/15229

Keywords
5G, computational methods, RF-EMF compliance.

* To access the Recommendation, type the URL http://handle.itu.int/ in the address field of your web
browser, followed by the Recommendation's unique ID. For example, http://handle.itu.int/11.1002/1000/11
830-en.

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) i

 FOREWORD
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency in the field of
telecommunications, information and communication technologies (ICTs). The ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is a permanent organ of ITU. ITU-T is responsible for studying technical,
operating and tariff questions and issuing Recommendations on them with a view to standardizing
telecommunications on a worldwide basis.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA), which meets every four years, establishes
the topics for study by the ITU-T study groups which, in turn, produce Recommendations on these topics.
The approval of ITU-T Recommendations is covered by the procedure laid down in WTSA Resolution 1.
In some areas of information technology which fall within ITU-T's purview, the necessary standards are
prepared on a collaborative basis with ISO and IEC.

NOTE
This is an informative ITU-T publication. Mandatory provisions, such as those found in ITU-T
Recommendations, are outside the scope of this publication. This publication should only be referenced
bibliographically in ITU-T Recommendations.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

ITU draws attention to the possibility that the practice or implementation of this publication may involve the
use of a claimed Intellectual Property Right. ITU takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or
applicability of claimed Intellectual Property Rights, whether asserted by ITU members or others outside of
the publication development process.
As of the date of approval of this Recommendation, ITU had not received notice of intellectual property,
protected by patents/software copyrights, which may be required to implement this Recommendation.
However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information and are therefore
strongly urged to consult the appropriate ITU-T databases available via the ITU-T website at
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/ipr/.

© ITU 2023
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the prior
written permission of ITU.

ii K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

 Table of Contents
Page
1 Scope............................................................................................................................. 1
2 References..................................................................................................................... 1
3 Definitions .................................................................................................................... 2
3.1 Terms defined elsewhere ................................................................................ 2
3.2 Terms defined in this Supplement .................................................................. 3
4 Abbreviations and acronyms ........................................................................................ 3
5 Overview of 5G networks ............................................................................................. 3
6 5G spectrum .................................................................................................................. 4
7 How 5G wireless networks work .................................................................................. 5
7.1 The radio access network ............................................................................... 5
7.2 5G massive MIMO antenna configurations ................................................... 6
7.3 The core network ............................................................................................ 7
7.4 5G working with 4G ....................................................................................... 7
8 5G and RF-EMF exposure ............................................................................................ 8
8.1 5G, RF-EMF and health ................................................................................. 8
8.2 RF-EMF exposure limits ................................................................................ 9
9 RF-EMF exposure compliance assessments ................................................................. 9
9.1 5G RF-EMF assessment standards ................................................................. 9
9.2 5G wireless network RF-EMF compliance assessment methods ................... 9
9.3 Uncertainty considerations for 5G compliance assessments .......................... 10
9.4 Determining the actual maximum power for RF-EMF compliance
assessments of 5G networks ........................................................................... 10
9.5 Transmitted power and RF-EMF exposure from 5G massive MIMO
antennas .......................................................................................................... 10
9.6 In-situ RF-EMF exposure measurements of 5G base stations ....................... 11
9.7 Results of 5G RF-EMF assessments .............................................................. 11
Bibliography............................................................................................................................. 12

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) iii

Supplement 16 to ITU-T K-series Recommendations

Electromagnetic field compliance assessments for 5G wireless networks

1 Scope
This Supplement 16 to the ITU-T K-series Recommendations provides guidance on the radio
frequency (RF) – electromagnetic field (EMF) compliance assessment considerations for 5th
generation (5G) of wireless networks, including 5G base stations (BS) located at existing wireless
network facilities.

2 References
[ITU-T K.52] Recommendation ITU-T K.52 (2021), Guidance on complying with
limits for human exposure to electromagnetic fields.
[ITU-T K.70] Recommendation ITU-T K.70 (2020), Mitigation techniques to limit
human exposure to EMFs in the vicinity of radiocommunication
stations.
[ITU-T K.91] Recommendation ITU-T K.91 (2022), Guidance for assessment,
evaluation and monitoring of human exposure to radio frequency
electromagnetic fields.
[ITU-T K.100] Recommendation ITU-T K.100 (2021), Measurement of radio
frequency electromagnetic fields to determine compliance with human
exposure limits when a base station is put into service.
[ITU-T K.Sup.9] ITU-T K-series Recommendations – Supplement 9 (2019), 5G
technology and human exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic
fields.
[IEC/IEEE 62209-1528] IEC/IEEE 62209-1528:2020, Measurement procedure for the
assessment of specific absorption rate of human exposure to radio
frequency fields from hand-held and body-worn wireless
communication devices – Human models, instrumentation and
procedures (Frequency range of 4 MHz to 10 GHz).
[IEC 62209-3] IEC 62209-3:2019, Measurement procedure for the assessment of
specific absorption rate of human exposure to radio frequency fields
from hand-held and body-mounted wireless communication devices –
Part 3: Vector measurement-based systems (Frequency range of 600
MHz to 6 GHz).
[IEC 62232] IEC 62232:2022, Determination of RF field strength, power density and
SAR in the vicinity of base stations for the purpose of evaluating human
exposure.
[IEC/IEEE 63195-1] IEC/IEEE 63195-1:2022, Assessment of power density of human
exposure to radio frequency fields from wireless devices in close
proximity to the head and body (frequency range of 6 GHz to 300 GHz)
– Part 1: Measurement procedure.

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 1

[IEC/IEEE 63195-2] IEC/IEEE 63195-2:2022, Assessment of power density of human
exposure to radio frequency fields from wireless devices in close
proximity to the head and body (frequency range of 6 GHz to 300 GHz)
– Part 2: Computational procedure.
[IEC PAS 63446] IEC PAS 63446:2022, Conversion method of specific absorption rate to
absorbed power density for the assessment of human exposure to radio
frequency electromagnetic fields from wireless devices in close
proximity to the head and body – Frequency range of 6 GHz to 10 GHz.

3 Definitions

3.1 Terms defined elsewhere

This Supplement uses the following terms defined elsewhere:
3.1.1 actual maximum power [b-IEC TR 62669]: Value of transmitted power reached during
operations at a given percentile of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of a statistical
evaluation taking into account the averaging time tavg and the variation of the base station (BS) load
for the whole duration of the statistical evaluation.
NOTE – For a given base station (BS) site, the actual maximum transmitted power or equivalent isotropically
radiated power (EIRP) of radio frequency (RF) exposure or RF compliance boundary is defined as the default
value for a 95th percentile when using computational methods or for a 100th percentile when using
measurement methods. When another percentile is used for this BS site, the recommended notation is to add
the ''-pxx'' suffix to the assessed quantity, where xx is the percentile used for the statistical evaluation.
For example, PTXA-p99 is the actual maximum transmitted power based on statistical approaches using a
99th percentile.
3.1.2 antenna: [ITU-T K.70].
3.1.3 averaging time [b-IEC TR 62669]: Appropriate time over which exposure is averaged for
purposes of determining compliance.
3.1.4 base station: [ITU-T K.100].
3.1.5 basic restrictions: [ITU-T K.70].
3.1.6 compliance boundary: [ITU-T K.100].
3.1.7 electromagnetic field (EMF): [ITU-T K.91].
3.1.8 equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP): [ITU-T K.100].
3.1.9 exposure: [ITU-T K.52].
3.1.10 exposure level: [ITU-T K.52].
3.1.11 exposure limits: [ITU-T K.70].
3.1.12 general public: [ITU-T K.52].
3.1.13 massive MIMO [b-IEC TR 62669]: Method used for multiplying the capacity of a radio link
in a multicarrier cellular network in which a BS j is equipped with Mj >> 1 antennas, to achieve
channel hardening and communicates with Kj single-antenna UEs simultaneously on each
time/frequency sample, with antenna-UE ratio Mj/Kj > 1.
3.1.14 power density (S): [ITU-T K.52].
3.1.15 radio frequency (RF): [ITU-T K.70].
3.1.16 rated maximum power: [b-IEC TR 62669]: Value of transmitted power as declared by the
manufacturer.

2 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

3.1.17 specific absorption rate (SAR): [ITU-T K.52].
3.1.18 transmitter: [ITU-T K.70].
3.1.19 transmitted power [b-IEC TR 62669]: Total power transmitted by a base station under test
during the transmitter ON period assessed either at the antenna input port(s) for passive antennas or
as the total radiated power for base stations with built-in antennas.

3.2 Terms defined in this Supplement

None.

4 Abbreviations and acronyms

This Supplement uses the following abbreviations and acronyms:
5G 5th Generation of Wireless Networks
APD Absorbed Power Density
BS Base Station
EIRP Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power
EMF Electromagnetic Field
FDD Frequency Division Duplex
ICNIRP International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
IMT-2020 International Mobile Telecommunication system
LTE Long Term Evolution
MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output
mMIMO massive MIMO
mmWave millimetre-wave
RAN Radio Access Network
RF Radio Frequency
SAR Specific Absorption Rate
TDD Time Division Duplex
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
WRC World Radiocommunication Conferences

5 Overview of 5G networks
5G is the 5th generation of wireless networks, a significant evolution of the 4G long term evolution
(LTE) networks. 5G has been designed to meet the very large growth of data and connectivity in
today's modern society, the Internet of things with billions of connected devices, and tomorrow's
innovations.
The 5G wireless network that enables high-speed data transmission with ultra-low latency is the key
infrastructure for future technology that will lead the fourth or next industrial revolution such as
artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicle, big data and cloud.
5G will initially operate in conjunction with existing 4G networks before evolving to fully standalone
networks in subsequent releases and coverage expansions.
General information on 5G wireless networks can be found in [ITU-T K-Sup.9].

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 3

6 5G spectrum
5G will use additional spectrum predominately in the 3-86 GHz range to significantly add more
capacity compared to the current mobile technologies. The additional spectrum and greater capacity
will enable more users, more data, and faster connections. It is also expected that there will be future
reuse of existing low band spectrum for 5G as legacy networks decline in usage and also to support
future use cases.
The increased spectrum also includes the millimetre-wave (mmWave) bands. The mmWave
frequencies provide localised coverage as they mainly operate over short line of sight distances.
Figure 1 shows the existing and new spectrum that will be used for 5G mobile communications.
– Low band (below 1 GHz) – providing widespread coverage across urban, suburban, and
rural areas and supporting IoT for low data rate applications.
– Medium band (1 – 6 GHz) – providing good coverage and high speeds and includes the
expected initial 5G range of 3.3 – 3.8 GHz which has been identified as the most likely band
for launching 5G globally.
– High band (above 6 GHz) – providing ultra-high broadband speeds for advanced mobile
broadband applications, and which is most suitable for applications in dense traffic hotspots.
The 26 – 28 GHz band has been identified by some administrations for future 5G
applications.

Figure 1 – Existing and new spectrum to be used for 5G mobile communication services
[b-EmfExpl]

Spectrum for mobile telecommunication services including 5G is determined by the World

Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) which are held every three to four years. It is the job of
the WRC to review, and, if necessary, revise the radio regulations, the international treaty governing
the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite
orbits. Revisions are made based on an agenda determined by the ITU council, which takes into
account proposals made by previous WRC. The WRC designates frequencies for use by the
IMT-2020.

4 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

The 5G standards are expected to support both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division
duplex (TDD). Research is also underway on full duplex systems for 5G to transmit and receive
simultaneously on the same channel. Full duplex effectively doubles the spectrum efficiency.

7 How 5G wireless networks work

Most operators will initially integrate 5G networks with existing 4G networks to provide a continuous
connection. In Figure 2, an illustration of the 5G network architecture is provided. More information
can be found in [ITU-T K.Sup.9].
A wireless network has two main components, the 'radio access network' (RAN) and the
'core network'.

Figure 2 – Schematic illustration of the architecture for 5G mobile communication

networks [b-EmfExpl]

7.1 The radio access network

The radio access network (RAN) consists of various types of facilities including small cells, towers,
masts, street furniture and dedicated in-building and home systems which connect mobile users and
wireless devices to the main core network.
Small cells will be a significant feature of 5G networks, particularly at the new mmWave frequencies
where the connection range is very short. To provide a continuous connection, small cells will be
distributed in clusters depending on where users require connection, and this will complement the
macro network.
5G macro cells will use antennas that have multiple elements to send and receive more data
simultaneously and cater to multiple connections. The benefit to users is that more people can
simultaneously connect to the network and maintain high throughput. Antenna arrays for 5G are often
referred to as 'massive multiple input multiple output' (mMIMO) due to a large number of multiple
elements.

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 5

7.2 5G massive MIMO antenna configurations
5G massive MIMO (mMIMO) antennas are similar to existing 3G and 4G base station antennas,
however, with a much higher frequency. The individual element size is smaller allowing more
elements (for example 64 or 512). Figure 3 shows the difference between conventional sector
antennas and the mMIMO antennas used in 5G networks.
Beam steering and beamforming is a technology that allows the mMIMO base station antennas to
direct the radio signal to the users and devices rather than in all directions. The beam steering
technology uses advanced signal processing algorithms to determine the best path for the radio signal
to reach the user. This increases efficiency as it reduces interference (unwanted radio signals).
Figure 4 illustrates how beam steering and beamforming works in a 5G network.

Figure 3 – 4G base station with sector antennas and 5G base station with multi-element
Massive MIMO antenna array [b-EmfExpl]

6 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

 Figure 4 – Massive MIMO beamforming and beam steering in a 5G network
[b-EmfExpl]

7.3 The core network

The core network is the mobile exchange and data network that manages mobile voice, data and
internet connections. For 5G, the core network is being redesigned to better integrate with the internet
and cloud based services and includes distributed servers across the network improving the response
time (reducing latency).
Many of the advanced features of 5G, including network virtualization and network slicing for
different applications and services, will be managed in the core network.

7.4 5G working with 4G

In non-standalone deployments (i.e., 5G working jointly with 4G), when a 5G connection is
established, the user equipment (or device) connects to the 4G network to provide the control
signalling and to the 5G network to help provide the fast data connection by adding to the existing
4G carriage.
Where there is limited 5G coverage, the data is carried on the 4G network providing a continuous
connection. Essentially with this design, the 5G network is complementing the existing 4G network.
Figure 5 illustrates how 5G integration with 4G networks will work.

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 7

 Figure 5 – Illustration of how the 5G networks will initially be integrated
with existing 4G networks [b-EmfExpl]

8 5G and RF-EMF exposure

8.1 5G, RF-EMF and health

The radio frequency bands allocated for use by 5G including the mmWave frequencies have been
used by other radio frequency applications such as microwave communication, satellite and radar for
decades. 5G wireless networks are designed to be very efficient. This means both the network and
device transmission power will be low, which means that the levels of RF-EMF in a 5G environment
are within the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) exposure
limits.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified
Health Risks (SCENIHR) of the European Union and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) concluded that exposure related to wireless networks and their use
does not lead to adverse effects for public health if it is below the limits recommended by the ICNIRP.
Research on possible human health effects of RF-EMF exposure to mmWave frequencies goes back
many decades and is continuing. In terms of research specifically on the 5G frequency range, the
EMF portal database [b-EMF] lists approximately 350 studies on mmWave RF-EMF health related
research. Extensive research on mmWave and health has been conducted on radar, microwave and
military applications.
Tissue heating remains the only recognised and substantiated hazard of exposure to mmWave
frequencies based on scientific research to date.
However, despite much research and communication efforts to resolve it, there is still some public
concern about the possible harmfulness of RF-EMFs from mobile communication equipment. In
addition, there will be numerous new 5G base stations around the areas where people live and work,
which may lead to additional public concern. It is very important to properly address these concerns,
and to ensure the efficiency of wireless networks and maintain low RF-EMF levels through the
evolution of the current networks and expansion of 5G wireless networks, which constitute the key
infrastructure that will enable entry into the smart information society.

8 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

8.2 RF-EMF exposure limits
Comprehensive international guidelines exist governing exposure to radio waves used at 5G
frequencies. The limits have been established by independent scientific organizations, such as the
ICNIRP and include substantial margins of safety to protect all population.
These guidelines have been widely adopted in standards and regulations around the world, and also
endorsed by WHO. Where national limits do not exist, or if they do not cover the frequencies of
interest, then ICNIRP limits should be used [ITU-T K.91].

9 RF-EMF exposure compliance assessments

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 106 is responsible for
preparing international standards on measurement and calculation methods to assess human exposure
to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. The IEC and ICNIRP have agreed on the sharing of
responsibilities for EMF standards. EMF exposure limit guidelines are developed by the ICNIRP, and
EMF exposure assessment standards are developed by the IEC and ITU. IEC and IEEE International
Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES) TC34 have jointly developed dual-logo standards.
A list of the relevant IEC standards is available on the IEC TC106 website.

9.1 5G RF-EMF assessment standards

9.1.1 Base stations and wireless networks
[IEC 62232] specifies assessment methods for base stations and wireless networks. It covers a
frequency range of up to 300 GHz and includes methodology applicable to 5G.
IEC Technical Report [b-IEC TR 62669] provides case studies for the implementation of
[IEC 62232], including 5G base stations, and describes the general guidelines for the compliance of
base stations using mMIMO. [b-IEC TR 62669] also includes case studies for the assessment of
standalone and shared 3G, 4G and 5G base stations, and small cells.
9.1.2 Mobile devices
IEC has developed a Technical Report [b-IEC TR 63170] that describes the state-of-the-art
measurement techniques and test approaches for evaluating local and spatial-average incident power
density of wireless devices operating in close proximity of the users at 6 GHz to 100 GHz. As a
follow-up, new standards were developed on computation methods [IEC/IEEE 63195-2] and
measurement methods [IEC/IEEE 63195-1] covering from 6 GHz to 300 GHz. The methods in these
standards are also included in [IEC 62232]. For specific absorption rate (SAR) assessments of 5G
devices using frequency bands up to 10 GHz, [IEC/IEEE 62209-1528] and [IEC 62209-3] up to
6 GHz are applicable. Absorbed power density (APD) assessment method covering from 6 GHz to
10 GHz is also available [IEC PAS 63446].

9.2 5G wireless network RF-EMF compliance assessment methods

RF-EMF compliance assessments for 5G networks will require careful analysis of the design and
configuration of the site to be evaluated, and whether an mMIMO or small cell configuration has been
deployed. The purpose of the assessment is typically to determine the size of the RF-EMF compliance
boundary (exclusion zone), for the general public and workers around the antennas, and to verify that
the zone is not accessible. Alternatively, calculations or measurements may be conducted close to a
base station site, in areas that are accessible to the general public, in order to verify that the RF-EMF
exposure levels are below the applicable limits. Guidance on how to perform RF-EMF compliance
assessments are provided in [ITU-T K.100] as well as [IEC 62232] and [b-IEC TR 62669].

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 9

9.3 Uncertainty considerations for 5G compliance assessments
Providing uncertainty estimates is particularly important when determining compliance with
exposure limits.
The assessment of uncertainty relevant for 5G compliance assessments is detailed in [IEC 62232],
[ITU-T K.91] and an example of uncertainty estimation including some of the factors listed in
[IEC 62232] is described in [b-Kim].

9.4 Determining the actual maximum power for RF-EMF compliance assessments of 5G
networks
The advances in wireless network technology for 5G have resulted in wireless networks becoming
significantly more efficient and requiring less transmitted power to deliver the same data rates.
5G networks will transmit similar power levels compared to previous mobile technologies. Like
current 2G, 3G and 4G networks, 5G base stations will not be designed to operate at maximum power
except for very short times in order to handle traffic variations. This means that the transmitted power
averaged over time periods of relevance for RF-EMF exposure assessments, e.g., six minutes, is
significantly lower than the rated maximum transmitted power for the equipment.
Consequently, using the rated maximum power will lead to overly conservative RF-EMF exposure
values and compliance boundaries, especially in the case of several different technologies and
antennas at the site. To address this issue, both [ITU-T K.100] and [IEC 62232] open up the possibility
to use the 'actual maximum power', which can be determined from measurements of the base station's
real output power, from measurements of a large number of representative base stations in the
network, or by using statistical models or network simulations [b-Thors], [b-Baracca]. The actual
maximum power can for example be taken as the 95th percentile value of the obtained power
distribution [b-IEC TR 62669].
For EMF exposure assessments of 5G sites using mMIMO, it is important to accurately determine
the actual maximum transmitted power. Massive MIMO base stations transmit a number of
simultaneous beams to the connected devices. These beams vary rapidly in both time and space, and
there will be no transmission in a certain direction at the rated maximum power for long time periods.
[b-IEC TR 62669] provides detailed guidance on how to determine the actual maximum power for
mMIMO antennas.

9.5 Transmitted power and RF-EMF exposure from 5G massive MIMO antennas
The configuration of a massive MIMO 5G site will vary depending on the operator network design
and implementation of the applicable 3GPP standards. The calculation of actual maximum
transmitted power and actual maximum EMF exposure from an mMIMO 5G antenna array requires
several factors to be considered, including:
– total maximum transmitted power;
– fraction of power used for traffic beams and broadcast / synchronization beams;
– beam steering ranges and half-power beamwidths;
– antenna radiation pattern (envelope of all traffic beams);
– maximum gain for traffic beams and broadcast / synchronization beams;
– number of possible simultaneous traffic beams;
– installation environment;
– distribution of connected devices; and
– time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD).
[b-IEC TR 62669] provides guidance on methods to determine the actual maximum power for
mMIMO base station antennas and includes case studies describing how to assess RF-EMF

10 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

compliance for a number of typical 5G sites. Given below are two case studies illustrating how EMF
compliance assessments of 5G macro and small cell sites may be performed.

9.6 In-situ RF-EMF exposure measurements of 5G base stations

After a 5G base station has been taken into operation there may be a need to measure the RF-EMF
exposure in its vicinity to either verify compliance with regulatory limits or to evaluate the exposure
levels for communication purposes. The standards [IEC 62232] and [ITU-T K.100] provide detailed
information on how to perform such measurements to get accurate and reliable results.
These standards specify requirements and guidelines related to the following:
– Site analysis and measurement area selection;
– Selection of exposure metric;
– Measurement equipment (broadband/frequency selective, frequency response, lower
detection level, dynamic range, linearity, probe isotropy);
– Measurement procedure (including time and spatial averaging);
– Methods to extrapolate to actual or theoretical maximum exposure;
– Contributions from ambient sources;
– Uncertainty evaluation; and
– Reporting.

9.7 Results of 5G RF-EMF assessments

Around the world, national health agencies, government regulators, academia, test laboratories,
mobile operators, and manufacturers have conducted extensive testing on commercial and test
networks to determine 5G RF-EMF exposure levels.
An interactive map 1 includes data from multiple stakeholders. Measured levels are for publicly
accessible areas, typically at ground level. 5G RF-EMF levels are converted to a percentage of the
relevant international [b-ICNIRP] public RF-EMF limit.
The summary shows that:
– international safety and testing standards are in place for all 5G frequencies including
millimetre waves.
– measured levels from 5G networks operating in all continents are low, and well below the
international safety limits.
– 5G RF-EMF levels are similar to other wireless technologies with little difference between
frequency bands.
The typical maximum measured 5G RF-EMF level across the surveys is about or less than 1% (power
density) of the international public limits.
5G networks are designed to use radio spectrum efficiently and this is evident in the testing. Reduced
signalling requirements for 5G and the use of smart antenna systems mean more efficient use of
RF-EMF energy.

1 https://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/emf-and-health/safety-of-5g-networks/5g-emf-surveys

K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022) 11

 Bibliography

[b-Baracca] Baracca, P., Weber, A., Wild, T., and Grangeat, C. (2018), A Statistical
Approach for RF Exposure Compliance Boundary Assessment in Massive
MIMO Systems.
<https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.08351>
[b-EMF] EMF-PORTAL
<https://www.emf-portal.org/en>
[b-EmfExpl] EMF Explained 2.0
<http://www.emfexplained.info/>
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RF field strength, power density and SAR in the vicinity of
radiocommunication base stations for the purpose of evaluating human
exposure.
<https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/62014>
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[b-ICNIRP 2020] ICNIRP – International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection

(2020), Guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to
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<https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPrfgdl2020.pdf>
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density related to human exposure to radio frequency fields from wireless
communication devices operating between 6 GHz and 100 GHz.
<https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/62012>
[b-Kim] Kim, B.C., Yun, J.-H., and Park, S.-O. (2012), Uncertainty Estimation for
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Cellular Base Stations. IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility
Volume: 54, Issue: 2, pp. 246-253.
<https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6142059>
[b-Thors] Thors, B., Furuskär, A., Colombi, D., and Törnevik, C. (2017),
Time-Averaged Realistic Maximum Power Levels for the Assessment of Radio
Frequency Exposure for 5G Radio Base Stations Using Massive MIMO, IEEE
Access, Volume: 5, pp. 19711-19719.
<https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8039290>

2 When reference [b-ICNIRP] is used, it applies to [b-ICNIRP_1998] and [b-ICNIRP_2020].

12 K series – Supplement 16 (10/2022)

 SERIES OF ITU-T RECOMMENDATIONS

Series A Organization of the work of ITU-T

Series D Tariff and accounting principles and international telecommunication/ICT economic and
policy issues
Series E Overall network operation, telephone service, service operation and human factors
Series F Non-telephone telecommunication services

Series G Transmission systems and media, digital systems and networks

Series H Audiovisual and multimedia systems

Series I Integrated services digital network

Series J Cable networks and transmission of television, sound programme and other multimedia
signals
Series K Protection against interference
Series L Environment and ICTs, climate change, e-waste, energy efficiency; construction, installation
and protection of cables and other elements of outside plant
Series M Telecommunication management, including TMN and network maintenance

Series N Maintenance: international sound programme and television transmission circuits

Series O Specifications of measuring equipment
Series P Telephone transmission quality, telephone installations, local line networks
Series Q Switching and signalling, and associated measurements and tests

Series R Telegraph transmission

Series S Telegraph services terminal equipment

Series T Terminals for telematic services
Series U Telegraph switching

Series V Data communication over the telephone network

Series X Data networks, open system communications and security

Series Y Global information infrastructure, Internet protocol aspects, next-generation networks,
Internet of Things and smart cities

Series Z Languages and general software aspects for telecommunication systems

Published in Switzerland
Geneva, 2023