"Cellular Network Densification Increases Radio-Frequency Pollution": True or False?

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that increasing cellular network density does not necessarily raise radio-frequency pollution; in fact, it can significantly decrease exposure when power levels are properly adjusted.

Contribution

The paper develops a simple, conservative model to evaluate RFP in dense 5G networks and shows that densification can reduce exposure levels under realistic power management.

Findings

RFP decreases up to three orders of magnitude with densification when power is adjusted.

Densification does not inherently increase RFP; it can reduce exposure.

Simulation results confirm the model's predictions.

Abstract

A very popular theory circulating among non-scientific communities claims that the massive deployment of Base Stations (BSs) over the territory, a.k.a. cellular network densification, always triggers an uncontrolled and exponential increase of human exposure to Radio Frequency "Pollution" (RFP). To face such concern in a way that can be understood by the layman, in this work we develop a very simple model to compute the RFP, based on a set of worst-case and conservative assumptions. We then provide closed-form expressions to evaluate the RFP variation in a pair of candidate 5G deployments, subject to different densification levels. Results, obtained over a wide set of representative 5G scenarios, dispel the myth: cellular network densification triggers an RFP decrease (up to three orders of magnitude) when the radiated power from the BS is adjusted to ensure a minimum sensitivity at the cell edge. Eventually, we analyze the conditions under which the RFP may increase when the network is densified (e.g., when the radiated power does not scale with the cell size), proving that the amount of RFP is always controlled. Finally, the results obtained by simulation confirm the outcomes of the RFP model.