Mobile Carriers Forum

Transcription

1 Mobile Carriers Forum Mauritius Information & Communication Technologies Authority Workshop Session 8 Translating the Standard into Procedures at the Operator s level July 2011

2 RF Safety Compliance Compliance with RF safety standards requires cumulative EME assessments Each carrier could develop their own processes and systems but would still require other carrier operator data, therefore a shared approach was developed MCF RF Safety Compliance Program: The purpose of the MCF RF Safety Compliance Program is to provide a coordinated structure, systems and processes for carrier compliance with the mandatory EME safety standards and regulations. MCF EME Steering Committee: The purpose of the MCF EME Steering Committee is to provide governance of the MCF RF Safety Compliance Program for the MCF National Council.

3 Australian Regulatory Overview for RF Safety Established EME Management Committee Developed standardised EME management practices through a trial know as the EME rooftop trail Developed the base level EME systems on the internet database called the National Site Archive Commenced the MCF EME Regulatory Compliance Strategy (MERCS). MERCS took the processes developed during the rooftop trail and turned them into an operational EME compliance system A MERCS Coordinator was appointed to assist the MCF manage this program development Complete NSA update with all carrier sites, data, EME compliance docs (MCF Commitment to ACMA) Complete the EME compliance & audit processes, and documentation Complete the EME systems development including the National Antenna Database Program name change to RF Safety Compliance Program (RFSCP) reflects key purpose External review by Price Waterhouse Coopers program achieves high level of compliance Develop a model for sharing the program with other Radio Service Operators Transfer the RFSCP into AMTA to facilitate sharing & broader use for wireless operators 2011 Annual audit program, operational stability, updates for technology expansions, new reporting tools Planned updates to the RFNSA for ACIF Code changes

4 OVERVIEW OF THE AMTA RF SAFETY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM Environmental Report Compliance Certificate National Site Archive Site RF Assessor Internet Database Public Access Area Shared User Area Carriers & Radio Licensees Secure User Area Site Book Site RadHaz Drawings Site Control & Access Details Tx & Antenna Data Shared Radio Site User Doc s ACIF Code Process Docs

5 Elements of the RF Safety Compliance Program - National Site Archive (NSA) (industry database all carrier sites & other radio services) - Site RF Assessors (Accredited EME specialists) - Standard site EME / EMI assessment processes - Standard Site Documentation (Radio Communications Site Management Book (RCSMB), Site Assessment Report, Site Compliance Certificate) - Standard RF signs & access control procedures - Standard cost structure (site assessments, documentation, and updates) - National Antenna database (consistent & standard antenna data for EME software) - ACIF Code Management System (automated system linked to NSA)

6 RF Safety Compliance & Design EME Standards & Regulations in Australia What are the EME Standards & Regulations? EME Human Exposure Standard is ARPANSA RPS3 - based on national & international research & WHO guidelines Regulations are imposed by the ACMA, and OH&S Legislation - Radio Communications carrier licence - ACIF Code - State & Commonwealth OH&S ACT s

7 RF Safety Compliance & Design EME Standards & Regulations Explained EME Exposure Standard ARPANSA RPS3 identify & manage RF hazard zones around antennas OH&S Legislation - ARPANSA RPS3 ACMA Carrier Licence - ARPANSA RPS3 limits ACIF Code - ARPANSA RPS3 - ARPANSA Environmental EME Report EME levels calculated 1.5m above ground 0-500m + other points of interest

8 RF Safety Compliance & Design Case Study example site WARRADALE SA 5046 NSA No m pole Optus, Vodafone, OV JV, Telstra Base Station pole

9 RF Safety Compliance & Design ARPANSA EME Safety Standard EME Safety Standard = ARPANSA RPS3 Basic Requirements: Identify radhaz zones (Occupational & Public) Restrict & control access to radhaz zones Have safe work procedures

10 RF Safety Compliance & Design ARPANSA EME Safety Standard EME Safety Standard = ARPANSA RPS3 Basic Requirements: Identify radhaz zones (Occupational & Public) Red & Yellow zones in site drawings Restrict & control access to radhaz zones Locked compound fence & inherent height restriction Have safe work procedures Detailed in RCSMB

11 RF Safety Compliance & Design ARPANSA EME Safety Standard EME Safety Standard = ARPANSA RPS3 Basic Requirements: Identify radhaz zones (Occupational & Public) Red & Yellow zones in site drawings Radio Communications Site Management Book (RCSMB) Restrict & control access to radhaz zones Locked compound fence & inherent height restriction Have safe work procedures Detailed in RCSMB When a site meets these requirements Radio Communications Site Management Book (RCSMB) - published Site Assessment Report documents how site meets compliance Compliance Certificate issued These documents are stored on the National Site Archive

12 RF Safety Compliance & Design Environmental EME Reports Environmental EME Report ACIF Code Basic Requirements: Calculation of maximum EME levels in local environment 0-500m from base 1.5m above ground level Calculation of maximum EME levels at points of interest Uses ARPANSA prediction methodology Often called the ARPANSA Report Base Station pole ~500m ARPANSA EME Report

13 RF Safety Compliance & Design Compliance Summary Compliance Report Summary RCSMB, Site Assessment Report, Compliance Certificate show compliance with ARPANSA EME Standard RPS3 Environmental EME Report ARPANSA Report show compliance with ACIF Code Compliance certificate

14 RF Safety Compliance & Design Compliance Summary Radio Communication Site Management Book Proposed Provisional Limited Full In Building Coverage Site Assessment Report

15 Standard Access Control & RF Sign Importance of cumulative compliance RF Hazard Area Beyond this Point Consult Site Management Book Contact Building Manager

16 Case Study - RMIT Building May 2006 media reports of a cancer cluster on the top two floors of RMIT University s building in the centre of Melbourne caused widespread concern RMIT closed the top two floors to investigate RMIT focused on managing investigation and staff concerns A media frenzy occurred on alleged cancer and mobile phone towers 2 3 weeks intense national media Media and public focus on mobile phone towers

17 Case Study - RMIT Building 108

18 Case Study cont d - RMIT Building 108

19 Case Study cont d - RMIT Building 108

20 Case Study cont d - RMIT Building 108 After an extensive medical investigation, Dr John Gall of Southern Medical Services declared neither a cluster nor any link to mobile phone base stations was identified for the cancers found on the two floors of the building. Given the size and age of the workforce on those two floors, Dr Gall expected to find 6.75 staff members with malignant tumours of all kinds. The actual number recorded was seven. There was no predominant tumour type, with 10 different tumour types identified among 12 current or past staff who worked on the floors since Reference: Southern Medical Services extensive medical investigation: Medical investigation of tumours detected in building 108, 1 August 2006

21 Case Study cont d - RMIT Building 108 Australian Carriers had little control of public issue (as it was an RMIT building) The media & public concern triggered - many building managers request EME compliance audits for base stations - local councils delayed new site approvals - significant increase in public inquiries (approx 300 in 3 weeks) - specialist staff were engaged to assist with community inquiries - Australian EME web site hits increased 200% - 800% RMIT was managing building crisis Australian carriers were managing significant public inquiries as a result using - Extensive carrier briefing material - EME Site compliance documentation - National internet site database - ARPANSA & WHO Fact sheets

22 Case Study cont d - RMIT Building 108 Phone towers were cleared of a link to the cancers following detailed environmental test by RMIT Independent 3 rd Parties provided trusted information to the media and public Immediate access to up-to-date information was critical (fact sheets, web sites, site databases) Open & transparent communications were critical to public trust Public concern remains RMIT is still raised at consultations for new base station site proposals Final Conclusion nine months later (February 2007) After an extensive scientific and medical investigation, it was found that there was no cluster and that no common cause could be identified for the cancers found on the two floors

23 AMTA 2011 RF Safety Compliance Program Update - Summary The MCF & AMTA continues to be proactive in key areas: Site audit and compliance programs Compliance and Reporting tools Simplifying the NSA systems (front page, guest access, mobile access) NSA updates for the ACIF Code changes Sharing NSA systems with other wireless operators Process documentation & training Data Integrity & improving business rules CARS

24 Access to Site Safety Documentation To ensure that site safety documentation is available to those requiring the information: Carriers provide individual building managers with access to additional information via the Rf NSA This access is a level above what the general public can see and ensures that building mangers have the most up to date information on RF Site Safety Provide the building managers with contact details for the carriers

25 Independent RF Assessors Australia has 5 independent Accredited RF Assessors Carriers engage these assessors to undertake: Site Compliance reviews Production of the Radio Communication Site Management book Field measurements

26 ARPANSA Field measurements audit ARPANSA has coordinated a survey of environmental radio frequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME) levels arising from mobile phone base station antennas. ARPANSA chose the sites based on a number of criteria including: Ability to cover all network operators and technologies A range of geographical locations A range of installation types. Sites with a high level of public concern, Sites where there is a concentration of base stations in close proximity,

27 Summary Results ARPANSA Field measurements audit Suburb/Town Address State Date Measured RF Level (% of exposure limits) Heidelberg Heights 23, 27 & Southern Road VIC Dec % Roxburgh Park 180 Somerton Road VIC Dec % Bulleen East 123A Thompsons Road VIC Jun % Calamvale Corner of Beaudesert & Compton Roads QLD Oct % Palmerston 65 Chung Wah Terrace NT Oct % Wynnum North 14 Mungala Street QLD Oct % Holt Playing Fields, Ormsby Place ACT Aug % Lalor 320 Station Street VIC May % Lower Sandy Bay Sandown Park, Long Point Road TAS May % Pascoe Vale Rayner Reserve, Devon Road VIC Apr % City Beach Lot 245 Kilpa Court WA Dec % Oaklands Park Warradale Barracks SA Dec % Beaconsfield 20 Moran Street WA Nov % Bli Bli Whitecross Road QLD Nov % Bathurst 230 Howick Street NSW Oct 2007 <0.001% Rosemeadow Lot 1 Appin Road NSW Oct % South Coogee 175 Malabar Road NSW Sep % Goodwood 147 Goodwood Road SA Aug % Sandringham 48 Bay Road VIC Apr %

28 ARPANSA Field measurements audit All measurements collected in this survey are well below the limits defined by the current ARPANSA Standard RPS3. The largest extrapolated RF EME level was found at Bulleen East where 1.33% of the general public exposure limit defined by RPS3 was recorded. This value is approximately 75 times less than the permitted exposure level under the current standard. The largest measured levels of RF EME were found for the South Coogee site where a value of 0.27% of the general public exposure limit defined by RPS3 was measured (around 370 times below the limit defined by the standard). This site also had the largest predicted RF level from the environmental EME report (at 2% of RPS3).

29 ARPANSA Field measurements audit This graph compares the observed and predicted RF EME levels as a percentage of the general public limit of the ARPANSA Standard RPS3.

30 MMF & GSMA Paper on ICNIRP levels The MMF and GSMA published a paper on adopting non-science based exposure limits instead of the science based limits recommended by the WHO. Such measures provide no additional health protection for the community but they do have a real impact on efficient network deployment and operation. Adoption of lower limits lack any scientific justification; Reducing limits is interpreted by the public as evidence that there is something to be concerned about; Lower limits create perception that base station emissions are now much higher when viewed as a % of the limit compared with international limit; Lower limits will result in larger compliance\exclusion zones which will have ramification on existing sites and may mean that these zones may reach publically accessible areas Lower limits will make co-location difficult To ensure compliance with the lower limits, the carriers may be required to reduce the operating powers of their sites which will result in reduced network coverage. MMF GSMA ICNIRP paper

31 Useful Web Links MCF AMTA RF NSA ARPANSA ACMA EMF Explained GSMA

32 Conclusion The Australian Industry has been proactive in key areas: Industry co-ordination and co-operation Government relations, interaction and education Industry compliance strategies and systems Pro-active policies precautionary and visual Web systems to facilitate inter carrier co-operation Incorporating non carrier s to participate in the RF Safety Compliance program such as State Governments and Australia's NBN Co.

33 Thank you. Questions?