Shanghai Enacts Regulations on Mobile Base StationsShanghai, this industrial powerhouse in east China has enacted a set of regulations on the establishment and operation of mobile base stations, in an effort to protect mobile phone users from the potential harm of electromagnetic waves (EMW).Shanghai has nearly 5 million mobile phone users and over 1,700 base stations. The citizens' concern about radiation in recent years has hindered the establishment, maintenance and repairs of some base stations and subsequently reduced quality of mobile communication. The new regulation, the first to be enacted in China, stipulates that mobile communication service providers should avoid building base stations in residential areas, and new stations must pass a series of acceptance tests by urban planning and environment authorities before being licensed for operation. Experts here say the new regulations has underlined security in base station construction and outlined procedures for dispute settlement and will therefore serve the interest of mobile phone users, service providers and all residents. A survey by the environment protection authorities here shows that existing base stations in Shanghai have not posed any threat to the environment. "The electric wave of existing base stations upon their data transmission is between two to three volts per meter, whereas the threshold set by the Chinese government is 12 volts," said an expert. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |