Use mobile phone on speaker or earphones to avoid radiation: Govt guidelines

Mobile radiation regulations are set to get stricter from today, September 1. Earlier reports had revealed that beginning today, rigorous checks will be implemented on the electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones. Now, as a part of a set of precautionary guidelines the government has issued for mobile users, it advises them to keep distance between the body and the phone, by either using the speakerphone option or headsets.

New guidelines to tackle radiation issues (Image credit: Getty Images)

These guidelines are in line with an earlier mention. In December last year, the government had declared that hands-free, which till then may have been just another accessory bundled up with a mobile phone, would soon be made mandatory to be provided with all mobile phones. The reason was that using hands-free, as opposed to answering calls the usual way, is being seen as an effective way of steering clear of radiation emissions. Switching over to SMS or other non-voice modes of communication too is preferable for evading radiation.

Further in its new guidelines, the government advises users to limit the length of their voice calls and resort to messaging instead. The guidelines suggest that if the user has a choice between making calls from a mobile phone and a landline, he or she should go for the latter. Mobile phone users should make calls from a location where the signal is strong. "If the radio signal is weak, a mobile phone will increase its transmission power. Find a strong signal and avoid movement, use your phone where reception is good," it added. 

Among other guidelines that the government has issued, it added that users should avoid making calls while wearing metal framed glasses or having wet hair, since metal and water are good conductors of radiowaves. 

Importantly, the government has also advised against carrying the mobile phone near the breast/ chest or inside pant pockets, since a cellphone "automatically transmits at high power every one or two minutes to check network".

In its advice to those with active medical implants, the government has added that they should preferably keep their cellphones at least 15 cm away from the implant.

As per reports, the government will initiate its stricter norms for mobile radiation regulations from today. Under these new norms,  the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value will be down to a revised 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg) from the earlier 2 W/kg. The SAR essentially measures the rate at which the body absorbs energy when exposed to a radio frequency electromagnetic field or electronic devices using radio spectrum. 

What are your views on the guidelines  issued by the government? Do let us know in your comments.

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