For many years discussions about possible health risks due to high-frequency electromagnetic fields, e. g. in the vicinity of broadcasting stations and television transmitters, have taken place. The rapid extension of the mobile phone networks and the strong increase in the number of mobile communication users a few years ago aroused the intensity of the discussion in the general public about the possible risks of this technology.

The significance of the topic mobile communication in the public must be considered under two aspects:

• Benefit and acceptance of the new technology

• Discussions about possible risks of mobile communication

Benefits and acceptance of the new technology

Mobile communication technology is characterised by high acceptance in large parts of the population. During the last years a rapid increase in mobile phone usage was observed. In some groups of the population a larger use of mobile phones than fixed line phones can already be noted. The Federal Network Agency states the number of subscribers in the mobile communication networks at the end of 2005 to be 79.2 millions. This would correspond to a penetration rate of 96 % in the German population. However, since a subscriber can have several contracts it must be assumed that the actual number of mobile phone users is smaller. According to a current poll carried out on behalf of BfS in autumn 2005, 80 % of the Germans used a mobile phone. The real extent of mobile phone usage varies a lot from person to person (for detailed information see  http://www.bfs.de/elektro/papiere/mf_umfrage_2004.html. The current poll data can be found under http://www.bfs.de/elektro/papiere/umfrage2005.html.) In the population the mobile phone has become an important tool in everyday life, with which e.g. family life, work and leisure time are organised. Especially in emergencies the mobile phone provides a practical possibility to quickly call for help.

Discussions about the possible risks of mobile communication

On the other hand, the expansion of the mobile communication networks has led to very intense discussions about possible health effects of the high-frequency electromagnetic fields of mobile communication. A possible impact on children and adolescents is especially relevant since they react more sensitively to many environmental factors than adults do and therefore have to be particularly taken into consideration for precautionary reasons. The public debates are characterised by the fact that a multitude of real or assumed risk factors are discussed, frequently with different levels of information – founded information, assumptions and firm convictions often collide. For some years extreme positions have characterised the discussions which either dramatise or entirely negate a possible risk. Very different opinions on the biological effects of the electromagnetic fields of mobile communication come into conflict.

Apart from health risks, however, other topics have been discussed, such as the basics of the German limit values or the complex field of interaction between politics, mobile network operators and radiation protection organisations.

Provision of information

Various investigations have shown that there is a fundamental criticism in the general public which is related to the feeling that they are insufficiently informed about different topics of “mobile communication”. There is, for example, no sympathy in the population for the dispute among scientists about the quality and significance of individual studies on biological effects of high-frequency fields. This is rather interpreted as a deliberate withholding of important results. Additionally, there are existing scientific uncertainties concerning the biological effects of the electromagnetic fields of mobile communication. The question if precautionary measures are necessary and, if so, what measures are reasonable and necessary, is also discussed very differently in politics, by the authorities, in the media and among various stakeholder groups. This has contributed to a considerable uncertainty in parts of the population.

As a result, there has been strong resistance against individual transmitters in the last years. Numerous citizens´ initiatives have formed who focussed in most cases on preventing the installation of a certain transmitter. The strong and enduring exposure to the electromagnetic fields of the transmitters is mentioned as an important argument. One could not get away from this permanent exposure, whereas one could decide freely to use a mobile phone or not.

Additionally, the mode of operation of mobile network operators when erecting new mobile communication transmitters was frequently criticised. Especially, people had the feeling that base stations were installed in a „cloak-and-dagger operation“ or that transmitters were „put right on their doorsteps“ without involving the citizens.

Due to the strong public pressure the demands for an improvement of information of the general public and the close involvement of communities in discussion and decision-making processes have increasingly been considered in network planning and implementation. Both the so-called “associations agreement” and the self-commitment of the mobile network operators towards the Federal Government of December 2001 provide for a better involvement of the communities in the site selection process and a more intensive information of the public. Besides, special care should be taken that exposure is minimised particularly in the vicinity of so-called „sensitive installations“ such as kindergartens, schools or residential houses. Despite of these efforts within the scope of self-commitment the population frequently still feels that they are not sufficiently involved in the selection of new sites. The annual reports on the results of the implementation of the self-commitment, which are available for the years 2002 to 2005, show that the communication and cooperation between operators and communities has improved. However, they also show that despite this progress the number of conflicts about the determination of sites has not significantly decreased and that it remains difficult to fully involve the public. Within the scope of this report the information about different aspects of mobile communication provided by the mobile network operators was critically scrutinised and potential improvements were shown. You will find the annual reports under http://www.bmu.de/strahlenschutz/downloads/doc/20113.php.

One reason for the objective dialogue with the public being so difficult is that there is a lack of understanding of the physical and technical facts of mobile communication in the general public. Understanding the complicated technology requires a high degree of physical and technical knowledge. At the same time this lack of information makes the communication of reasonable and necessary precautions in the public difficult and may contribute to the fact that people reject this technology.

To enable a better-targeted provision of information about mobile communication BfS initiated in 2004 a study to find out if there are central target groups for information measures in the field of mobile communication in Germany and, if so, which target groups there are and how they can be addressed best. The study identified 5 central target groups which are characterised by their specific attitude towards mobile communication and by other features. The results of the study are presented here.

Results of the BfS polls related to anxieties and fears in the population

To determine the degree of anxieties and fears related to mobile communication BfS commissions at regular intervals representative polls in the population.

The results of this series of polls show that the mood in the population with respect to the concern and impairment related to electromagnetic fields of mobile communication transmitters, mobile phones or cordless conventional phones has not changed significantly during recent years: The percentage of members of the public describing themselves in 2005 as being concerned (30 %) about high-frequency electromagnetic fields or whose health was impaired (10 %) has not changed significantly since 2003 (31% or 8 %, respectively). Depending on the extent of concern or impairment due to electromagnetic fields either mobile communication transmitters or mobile phones are referred to as being triggers.O

Over the years, reasons for not using mobile phones are not necessarily that people reject this means of communication but simply a lack of need.

The health impairments due to electromagnetic fields that were mentioned in most cases refer to headaches and sleeping problems.

The comparison of the perception of health risks due to radiation sources related to mobile communication with other possible health risk factors shows that mobile communication transmitters and mobile phones are clearly of concern than to air pollution, the consumption of meat of unknown origin, genetically modified food, UV radiation, the side effects of medicaments, strong tobacco smoking and participation in traffic.

The results of the nation-wide representative polls about the perception of mobile communication of the years 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 can be found under http://www.bfs.de/elektro/papiere.

Electrosensitivity

Persons who consider their health troubles to be based on the existence of electric and magnetic fields refer to themselves as being „electrosensitive“. The phenomenon of electrosensitivity has existed for many years. Initially the troubles have been attributed to the low-frequency electromagnetic fields of household current. Since the mobile communication networks have been extended considerably, the high-frequency electromagnetic fields have also been mentioned as possible cause. However, an evaluation of the problem is difficult due to the fact that despite of several scientific investigations no causal interrelation could be determined so far between the existence of electromagnetic fields and health effects. Within the scope of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Program (DMF) the possibility of such an interrelation is investigated further, the focus of the investigations being on high-frequency fields. Apart from that, general data of electrosensitive persons are compiled, such as their share of the population, demographical data and general parameters relevant to health. Here you will find information about a research project which was carried out within the DMF and which was focussed on possibilities of an improved communication with electrosensitive persons.

Future research

In view of the conflict potential of mobile communication which continues to exist andthe still strong discrepancy between the risks feared by parts of the population and the results of scientific research, it is indispensable to deal with the concerns in the population about possible health risks. In addition scientific investigations oft possible biological effects of electromagnetic fields of mobile communication have to be continued. For this purpose the population's perception of the topic mobile communication is determined in further studies of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Program. Furthermore, a possible alteration in the different aspects of perception is investigated. On the other hand, factors and processes are to be investigated that play a role in the public with respect to specific perception and in the handling of the topic mobile communication. The results of numerous studies about how people deal with risks show that the significance of a topic in the public is influenced by different factors such as the level of perception, handling and reaction. Based on this, practical concepts are being elaborated that can be immediately implemented in the optimisation of risk communication of BfS in the sense of a comprehensive and objective information of the public. Here you find detailed information about these studies carried out within the scope of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Program.