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107
Safety
or medical devices. However, the agency has authority to take action if wireless phones
are shown to emit Radio Frequency (RF) energy at a level that is hazardous to the user.
In such a case, the FDA could require the manufacturers of wireless phones to notify
users of the health hazard and to repair, replace, or recall the phones so that the hazard
no longer exists. Although the existing scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory
actions, the FDA has urged the wireless phone industry to take a number of steps,
including the following:
• Support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of the type emitted
by wireless phones;
• Design wireless phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user that is
not necessary for device function; and
• Cooperate in providing users of wireless phones with the best possible information
on possible effects of wireless phone use on human health.
The FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the federal agencies that have
responsibility for different aspects of RF safety to ensure coordinated efforts at the
federal level. The following agencies belong to this working group:
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health participates in some interagency working group
activities, as well. The FDA shares regulatory responsibilities for wireless phones with
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All phones that are sold in the United
States must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF exposure.
The FCC relies on the FDA and other health agencies for safety questions about
wireless phones.
The FCC also regulates the base stations that the wireless phone networks rely upon.
While these base stations operate at higher power than do the wireless phones
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