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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. FCC
relies on FDA and other health agencies for safety
questions about wireless phones.
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
themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these
base stations are typically thousands of times lower than
those they can get from wireless phones. Base stations are
thus not the primary subject of the safety questions
discussed in this document.
What is FDA doing to find out more about the possible
health effects of wireless phone RF?
FDA is working with the U.S. National Toxicology
Program and with groups of investigators around the
world to ensure that high priority animal studies are
conducted to address important questions about the
effects of exposure to radio frequency energy (RF).
FDA has been a leading participant in the World Health
Organization International Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)
Project since its inception in 1996. An influential result of
this work has been the development of detailed agenda of
research needs that has driven the establishment of new
research programs around the world. The Project has also
helped develop a series of public information documents
on EMF issues.
FDA and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association (CTIA) have a formal Cooperative Research
and Development Agreement (CRADA) to do research on
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