In-Situ Measurement of 5G Electromagnetic Exposure Levels in Urban Environments

Characterization of 5G electromagnetic levels in crowded environments is considered crucial for network planning under quality of service and human exposure constraints. In this work we present the results of an experimental measurement campaign conducted in dense urban areas where the 5G commercial network was recently deployed. The measurement setup consists of a sub-6GHz electric field probe connected to the spectrum analyzer. Measurement samples are taken at different times of day within a month. The maximum captured value in a dense urban spot for a pilot 5G network during a typical operation scenario is 4.1 V/m. The results of the in-situ measurement campaign are processed and compared with pre-5G technologies (2G, 3G, and 4G) exposure data. All 5G captured electric field levels in this pilot study are below the reference safety limits given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.