18 APR, 2012, 02.45AM IST, JOJI THOMAS PHILIP,ET BUREAU

NEW DELHI: The new and stringent radiation emission rules for mobile phones and towers, which will for the first time stipulate emission levels for handsets sold in India and make it compulsory for these levels to be displayed on phones and retail outlets, will come into effect from September 1, 2012, telecom department officials said.

All handset makers, mobile phone companies and tower cos will be informed of the deadline before April-end, the telecom department (DoT) officials quoted above added. ET had first reported in November 2011 that the government had finalised radiation emission norms for cellphones and towers.

Radiation emitted by cellphones varies from instrument to instrument and is measured in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR) – the amount of radio waves absorbed by the body tissue when a phone is in use. The new rules state that cellphones can be imported and sold in India only if the SAR level is below 1.6 watts per kg (W/kg).

So far, India had unofficially followed European norms, which state that the maximum SAR level must not exceed 2 W/kg. According to the industry body representing handset makers, nearly 650 models of low-end Chinese handsets don’t comply with the new emission standards and will have to be redesigned.

Radiation limits for towers have also been tightened to a tenth of the existing exposure level. The government has rejected the demands from the industry that the new norms for tower companies be deferred.

Tower companies are mandated to provide self-certifications on compliance, and the telecom department has decided that all such certifications from this month onwards will be covered by the new norms.

According to the new rules, the SAR value, or the radiation emitted by the handset, must be specified on the device, its manual, the box as well as the websites of both the company and the telecom department.

The radiation figure of each handset model must also be displayed prominently at all retail outlets that sell mobile phones. For consumers, the cost of acquiring a cellphone is set to go up by a minimum of Rs 400. The new rules make it mandatory for all handsets to be sold with a hands free device, as the government believes this step will help reduce the exposure to radiation significantly.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/telecom/mobile-phones-have-to-display-radiation-levels-by-september-dot/articleshow/12710430.cms