Nokia RM-165 User Manual page 106

A P P E N D I X
more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that
these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits, these
so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone
may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF
absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two
companies that sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from
radiation with making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these
defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
How does FCC Audit Cell Phone RF?
After FCC grants permission for a particular cellular telephone to be marketed,
FCC will occasionally conduct "post-grant" testing to determine whether
production versions of the phone are being produced to conform with FCC
regulatory requirements. The manufacturer of a cell phone that does not meet
FCC's regulatory requirements may be required to remove the cell phone from use
and to refund the purchase price or provide a replacement phone, and may be
subject to civil or criminal penalties. In addition, if the cell phone presents a risk
of injury to the user, FDA may also take regulatory action. The most important
post-grant test, from a consumer's perspective, is testing of the RF emissions of
the phone. FCC measures the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the phone,
following a very rigorous testing protocol. As is true for nearly any scientific
measurement, there is a possibility that the test measurement may be less than
or greater than the actual RF emitted by the phone. This difference between the
RF test measurement and actual RF emission is because test measurements are
limited by instrument accuracy, because test measurement and actual use
environments are different, and other variable factors. This inherent variability is
known as "measurement uncertainty." When FCC conducts post-grant testing of
a cell phone, FCC takes into account any measurement uncertainty to determine
whether regulatory action is appropriate. This approach ensures that when FCC
takes regulatory action, it will have a sound, defensible scientific basis.
FDA scientific staff reviewed the methodology used by FCC to measure cell phone
RF, and agreed it is an acceptable approach, given our current understanding of
the risks presented by cellular phone RF emissions. RF emissions from cellular
phones have not been shown to present a risk of injury to the user when the
measured SAR is less than the safety limits set by FCC (an SAR of 1.6 w/kg). Even
in a case where the maximum measurement uncertainty permitted by current
measurement standards was added to the maximum permissible SAR, the
resulting SAR value would be well below any level known to produce an acute
effect. Consequently, FCC's approach with measurement uncertainty will not
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