Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field Measurements in a Commercial 5G Network

Initial deployment of 5G networks presents two challenges: Trust in safety of 5G and a reliable methodology for Electromagnetic Field (EMF) estimation. A testbed is presented for direct and indirect EMF measurements where 5G network characteristics are not known a priori. A signal analyser, a field strength analyser and a software radio were used to compare three methodologies – direct EMF measurement, EMF derived from Radio Frequency (RF) measurements, and an extrapolation method to estimate the field. The testbed was deployed in different traffic scenarios in a commercial network in the sub-6 GHz band. Results show that with no induced 5G traffic, the EMF due to 5G signals was negligible. With increased traffic, the EMF increased. The overall EMF due to all mobile services, including 5G, in the test location remained well below the regulatory limit. Directly measured EMF compared well with the RF-derived value. The extrapolation method gave an overestimate due to small variations experienced in the downlink traffic. It however confirms the reliability of the method for a theoretical maximum power density value. The study contributes to developing reliable test methods for EMF in a 5G network without a priori knowledge and adds transparency about the levels of EMF generated by 5G networks.