ARE  TELECOM  MASTS  HARMFUL?    Mobile   phones   have   become   vital   to   our   lives   and   livelihoods.     They’ve  made   it   so  much  simpler  and  cheaper   to   transact  business,  move  money,  conduct   research   for  school  or  work,  and  manage  our  relations  with  our  families  and  friends.      Messages  that   took   a  month   in   the   post   or   hours   of   travelling   to   deliver   now   only   require   a  phone  call,  text  or  email.      Telecoms   companies   have   made   these   possible   through   investments   in  infrastructure,   such   as   towers   or   masts.   But   there’s   growing   demand   for   mobile  phone  services,  which  makes   it  necessary  to   increase  the   infrastructure  available   in  order  to  ensure  an  acceptable  level  of  network  coverage  and  Quality  of  Service  (QoS).  Yet,  many  people  question  whether  these  towers  constitute  a  danger  to  their  health  and  safety.     It   is  right  that  they  ask.    However,  these  fears  are  borne   largely  out  of  lack  of  information.  Here,  the  Ghana  Chamber  of  Telecommunications,  which  is  the  association  of  the  six  mobile   operators   in   Ghana,   answers   the   most   commonly   asked   questions   about  tower  safety:    What  are  Telecom  Masts  and  what  do  they  do?    Telecom  Masts  transmit  and  receive  radio  signals,  which  are  invisible  to  the  eye,  from   mobile   phones   and   other   wireless   devices.   Without   telecom   masts   or  towers  in  our  communities,  it  would  be  impossible  to  operate  our  mobile  phones  whilst   moving   from   place   to   place.   If   telecom   masts   are   not   situated   within  specific   ranges   of   one   another,   uninterrupted   phone   services   will   be   almost  impossible  to  deliver.    Are  Radio  Signals/Electromagnetic  Emissions  from  Telecom  Masts  safe  for  me?    Both   mobile   phones   and   masts   produce   radio   signals.     These   signals   travel  through  the  air  as  electromagnetic  energy.    There  are  many  electrical  appliances,  which  we   all   commonly   use,   that   also   give   off   similar   electromagnetic   energy.  These  include  light  bulbs,  radio  and  television  sets,  computers,  remote  car  door  locks,  and  microwave  ovens.    The  emissions  from  mobile  phones,  masts  and  all  of  these  items  are  classified  as  non-­‐ionising  radiation,  and  is  safe  for  humans.    “The  levels   of  RF   exposure   from  Base   Stations  and  wireless  networks  are   so   low  that   the   temperature   increases   are   insignificant   and   do   not   affect   human  health”  [WHO:  Electromagnetic  fields  and  public  health  Fact  sheet  No.  304,  May  2006]    Who  is  responsible  for  setting  standards  for  emissions  from  Masts?      The   international   commission   on   Non-­‐Iodising   Radiation   Protection   (ICNIRP)  sets   standards   and   makes   safety   recommendations   to   guide   the   industry  

worldwide.  The  European  Union  (EU)  and  the  International  Telecommunications  Union   (ITU)  which   is   an   inter-­‐governmental   body   and   an   agency   of   the   UN   of  which  Ghana  is  a  member,  have  also  repeatedly  endorsed  the  ICNIRP  Guidelines.    Mobile   operators   and   the   responsible   institutions   in   Ghana,   such   as   the   EPA,  work  within  those  guidelines.        How  are  these  guidelines  implemented  in  Ghana?        In  Ghana  operators  or  the  companies  that  build  towers  on  their  behalf  require  a  Radiation  Protection  Certificate  and  an  Environmental  Protection  Permit  before  deploying  towers  and  other  infrastructure,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Industry  Technical  Committee  (ITA).  The  ITA  process  includes  certification  of  compliance  with   ICNIRP   Guidelines.   In   addition,   the   National   Communications   Authority  (NCA)  ensures  that  all  equipment  used  in  Ghana  is  approved  to  certify  that  they  conform  to  global  safety  standards.      What  prevents  a  mast  from  falling  down  and  killing  me  and  my  children?  Masts  commonly  installed  for  mobile  operators  in  Ghana  are  built  to  withstand  a  wind-­‐load  of  140  km/hour.    That’s  speed  of  the  wind  in  a  hurricane!    Yet,  even  if  that  were  to  happen,  the  mast  near  you  would  stand  because  it  has  been  built  to  resist   that   much   wind.     Besides,   tower   companies   regularly   monitor   the  foundations  of  towers  to  ensure  that  their  physical  integrity  is  not  compromised.      If  these  masts  are  that  safe,  why  don’t  they  abound  in  developed  countries  as  they  are  in  Ghana  or  elsewhere  in  Africa?  In   most   cities   in   developed   countries,   high-­‐rise   buildings   are   common.   These  buildings   host   the   telecoms   antennae   and   therefore   eliminate   or  minimise   the  need   for   the   installation   of   masts   on   the   ground   in   built-­‐up   areas.     Mobile  operators  in  Ghana  would  prefer  not  to  have  to  build  them  at  all.    It  costs  up  to  US$180,000  to  put  up  a  mast.    It’s  cheaper  to  simply  affix  the  antennae  to  a  high-­‐rise  building.    Some   people   find   the   masts   aesthetically   unsightly;   what   are   telecom  operators  doing  to  minimize  the  need  to  have  so  many?    Increasingly,  mobile  phone  operators  in  Ghana  are  sharing  towers  by  employing  the   services   of   tower   companies   in   order   to   reduce   the   number   of  masts   each  telecom  operator  independently  requires.        Where  can  I  get  more  information?  You  may  visit  the  website  of  the  International  Commission  for  Non-­‐Ionizing  Radiation  Protection  (ICNIRP)  www.icnirp.de;  World  Health  Organization  International  Electromagnetic  Fields  Project  (WHO  –IEFP):www.who.int/peh-­‐emf  or  http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html;  Mobile  Manufacturers  Forum  www.mmfai.org;  You  may  also  contact  your  network  operator,  the  EPA,  EPA,  or  the  Ghana  Chamber  of  Telecommunications  by  phone  on  (0)  302  730500,  or  email:  info@telecomschamber.org.