Samsung GTI8700 Manual page 8

Consum e r I nfor m a t ion on W ir e le ss Phone s
The U.S. Food and Drug Adm inist rat ion ( FDA) has published a series of
Quest ions and Answ ers for consum ers relat ing t o radio frequency ( RF)
exposure from w ireless phones. The FDA publicat ion includes t he
following inform at ion:
W ha t k inds of phone s a r e t he subj e ct of t his upda t e ?
The t erm wireless phone refers here t o hand- held wireless phones wit h
built - in ant ennas, oft en called " cell," " m obile," or " PCS" phones. These
t ypes of wireless phones can expose t he user t o m easurable radio
frequency energy ( RF) because of t he short dist ance bet w een t he phone
and t he user's head. These RF exposures are lim it ed by Federal
Com m unicat ions Com m ission safet y guidelines t hat were developed wit h
t he advice of FDA and ot her federal healt h and safet y agencies. When t he
phone is locat ed at great er dist ances fr om t he user, t he exposure t o RF is
drast ically lower because a person's RF exposure decreases rapidly wit h
increasing dist ance from t he source. The so- called " cordless phones,"
which have a base unit connect ed t o t he t elephone wiring in a house,
t ypically operat e at far lower power levels, and t hus produce RF
exposures well wit hin t he FCC's com pliance lim it s.
D o w ir e le ss phon e s pose a he a lt h h a z a r d?
The available scient ific evidence does not show t hat any healt h problem s
are associat ed wit h using wireless phones. There is no proof, however,
t hat w ireless phones are absolut ely safe. Wireless phones em it low levels
of radio frequency energy ( RF) in t he m icrowave range while being used.
They also em it very low levels of RF when in t he st and- by m ode. Whereas
high levels of RF can produce healt h effect s ( by heat ing t issue) , exposure
t o low level RF t hat does not produce heat ing effect s causes no known
adverse healt h effect s. Many st udies of low level RF exposures have not
found any biological effect s. Som e st udies have suggest ed t hat som e
biological effect s m ay occur, but such findings have not been confirm ed
by addit ional research. I n som e cases, ot her researchers have had
difficult y in reproducing t hose st udies, or in det erm ining t he reasons for
inconsist ent result s.
W ha t is FD A's r ole conce r ning t he sa fe t y of w ir e le ss phone s?
Under t he law , FDA does not review t he safet y of radiat ion- em it t ing
consum er product s such as w ireless phones before t hey can be sold, as it
does wit h new drugs or m edical dev ices. However, t he agency has
aut horit y t o t ake act ion if wireless phones are shown t o em it radio
frequency energy ( RF) at a level t hat is hazardous t o t he user. I n such a
case, FDA could require t he m anufact ur ers of wireless phones t o not ify
users of t he healt h hazard and t o repair, replace or recall t he phones so
t hat t he hazard no longer exist s.
Alt hough t he exist ing scient ific dat a do not j ust ify FDA regulat ory act ions,
FDA has urged t he wireless phone indust ry t o t ake a num ber of st eps,
including t he following: