SAR values comparison between GSM and 3G

The paper analyses the level of electromagnetic radiation produced by the mobile terminals and its correlation with SAR value, until now the only method to quantify the harmful effect of using this mode of communication. It is shown that the modern 3G (UMTS) network, although uses an emission power much lower than the 2G (GSM) network and produces a lower mean exposure level, still leads to the highest SAR level. This fact is indicated by manufacturers and confirmed by comparative interlaboratory measurements, one of the latest being presented in the paper. The causes of this situation and the validity limits of the present SAR concept are explained. Finally, the reduction of the SAR test duration for 3G mobile phones is proposed, by giving up in a first stage, the measurements on GSM channels.