The Regulation of 5G Technology

Telecommunications facilities are subject to a strict regulatory framework to ensure that they do not cause any potential health impacts from Electromagnetic Energy (EME). EME may be emitted from transmitters on mobile phone base stations or similar telecommunications facilities.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regulates EME from telecommunications facilities and other wireless devices used for communication, including mobile phones, mobile phone base stations, and modems. The ACMA’s regulatory arrangements require facilities and wireless devices to comply with the exposure limits set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) in its radiofrequency (RF) Standard.

ARPANSA is the Australian Government’s independent authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety. ARPANSA’s statements about EME and safety reflect its role and expertise in all fields of radiation protection. The ARPANSA RF Standard is based on decades of Australian and international peer-reviewed research into RF EME. It is set well below the level at which adverse health effects occur and includes a wide safety margin to further protect the public.

The effects of RF EME exposure have been the subject of extensive and rigorous scientific study around the world for many decades. ARPANSA consults with the world’s peak health bodies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), to ensure that Australia contributes to and benefits from the best international research and guidance on this matter. It is the assessment of ARPANSA and other leading health authorities that there are no known health effects of EME at levels below the ARPANSA standards.

Further information about EME is available from ARPANSA at www.arpansa.gov.au or by phone on 1800 022 333. Information is also available at www.acma.gov.au/emehub, which is a site managed by the ACMA.