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.

Chiaraviglio, L., Turco, S., Bianchi, G., Blefari Melazzi, N. (2022). "Cellular network densification increases radio-frequency pollution": true or false?. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, 21(4), 2608-2622 [10.1109/TWC.2021.3114198].

"Cellular network densification increases radio-frequency pollution": true or false?

Chiaraviglio L.;Bianchi G.;Blefari Melazzi N.
2022-01-01

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.
2022
Pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Esperti anonimi
Settore ING-INF/03 - TELECOMUNICAZIONI
English
Con Impact Factor ISI
Chiaraviglio, L., Turco, S., Bianchi, G., Blefari Melazzi, N. (2022). "Cellular network densification increases radio-frequency pollution": true or false?. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, 21(4), 2608-2622 [10.1109/TWC.2021.3114198].
Chiaraviglio, L; Turco, S; Bianchi, G; Blefari Melazzi, N
Articolo su rivista
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Cellular_Network_Densification_Increases_Radio-Frequency_Pollution_True_or_False.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Tipologia: Documento in Post-print
Licenza: Copyright dell'editore
Dimensione 3.74 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
3.74 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/293966
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 9
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 6
social impact