Impact of Small-Cell Deployment on Combined Uplink and Downlink RF Exposure Compared to the Status Quo in Mobile Networks

As new cellular technologies are introduced in mobile networks nowadays, more and more small cells and mobile road side units are being deployed to upgrade the performance of the wireless communication network. With regard to the overall human RF exposure, the question arises to what extent the exposure is affected by the deployment of such small cells compared to macro cells as the status quo. In an attempt to answer this important question, this paper proposes a method to measure and evaluate the combined uplink and downlink exposure in terms of the specific absorption rate of a mobile phone user at recently installed small cell locations. The comparison between the small cell and macro cell scenarios revealed a reduction of the total exposure when the user equipment was logged into the investigated LTE small cells, although the downlink exposure increased. The main reason for this encouraging result is the reduction of the uplink transmission power due to the improved link conditions across the small cell. In contrast, the total exposure in a macro cell scenario is dominated by the uplink exposure. In order to minimise the total exposure, a balance must be sought between downlink and uplink exposure.