Understandings of maximum spatially-averaged power density in 5G RF EMF exposure study

In the millimeter-wave (mmW) frequency band, radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF EMF) exposure is evaluated in terms of free space power density rather than the localized specific absorption rate (SAR) used in current cellular communications. In this study, we investigated RF EMF exposure of user equipment (UE) mock-ups employing a patch array operating at 15 GHz. Different understandings of maximum spatially-averaged power density to comply with different regulatory requirements are studied. Based on free space power density, the maximum permissible transmitted power (MPTP) of UE is calculated to compare the influence of different understandings. The analysis and results suggest that there is 1-2.6 dB MPTP difference for the ICNIRP limits and 0.1-1 dB MPTP difference for the proposed FCC limits depending on the varying compliance distance.