Mobile phone stations given clean bill of health

All mobile phone stations tested last year show that the local operators are adhering to the operational standards, according to a report that should mitigate the health concerns.

The Malta Communications Authority tested 60 sites last year and in all instances the sites were found to be compliant, with the vast majority below five per cent of the acceptable limit of emissions.

There are about 309,000 mobile phones in use in Malta, which can only work with a network of base stations. Yet, despite studies that claim the contrary, many still perceive them as a health risk, especially if they live in the vicinity.

There are currently nearly 500 base-stations perched on rooftops, and with the rollout of new technologies the number is expected to continue rising. Offers of hundreds of liri from the operators are perfect bait to convince residents to erect mobile antennas on their rooftops, often to the ire of their neighbours.

When contacted, MCA chief technology officer Colin Camilleri insisted that the inspections carried out had been done professionally, leaving no stone unturned. MCA technicians derive different readings from mobile base stations over a period of time.

"We are ultimately trying to protect the public and not the operators, as some people believe. We need to mitigate people's fears and we hope that after four years they can trust us," Mr Camilleri said.

Authority personnel had received a lot of training in monitoring, and where before it used to subcontract the inspections, it is now carrying them out with its own people.

With new technologies being rolled out, the number of mobile towers are expected to increase substantially in the coming years, Mr Camilleri said.

The MCA has asked the operators to submit a schedule of their proposed base stations for this year, especially with the evolvement of 3G and digital TV. Operators and authorities try to allay people's fears by echoing statements and reports carried out by the World Health Organisation and the EU, which state there is no scientific evidence that mobile antennas cause harm.

Some individuals have been vociferous in their campaign against base stations. An antenna erected in Wardija has particularly angered residents but Mr Camilleri said the Wardija station has been tested several times and was found to be well within the limits.

"Over the years, the concerns have diminished, but they are still there. When we do get complaints we will explain the results and the methodology used," Mr Camilleri added.

Vodafone company secretary Joseph Cuschieri said his company always met up with complainants to prove that the mobile phones were well within the acceptable standards and were no more harmful than emissions from microwave ovens and televisions.

The University's Department of Communications and Computer Engineering in association with Vodafone has launched Progett Gardjola, an initiative to inform the public about Radio Frequency Radiation.