RF Safe

Impact of Small-Cell Deployment on Combined Uplink and Downlink RF Exposure Compared to the Status Quo in Mobile Networks

2021 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 776

The comparison between small cell and macro cell scenarios found a reduction in total exposure when user equipment was logged into the investigated LTE small cells, although downlink exposure increased. The reduction was attributed to lower uplink transmissio…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2021
Study typeexposure_assessment
Reported directionMixed
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Impact of Small-Cell Deployment on Combined Uplink and Downlink RF Exposure Compared to the Status Quo in Mobile Networks L. M. Schilling, C. Bornkessel and M. A. Hein. Impact of Small-Cell Deployment on Combined Uplink and Downlink RF Exposure Compared to the Status Quo in Mobile Networks. 2021 51st European Microwave Conference (EuMC), 2022, pp. 618-621, doi: 10.23919/EuMC50147.2022.9784284. Abstract As new cellular technologies are introduced in mobile networks nowadays, more and more small cells and mobile road side units are being deployed to upgrade the performance of the wireless communication network. With regard to the overall human RF exposure, the question arises to what extent the exposure is affected by the deployment of such small cells compared to macro cells as the status quo. In an attempt to answer this important question, this paper proposes a method to measure and evaluate the combined uplink and downlink exposure in terms of the specific absorption rate of a mobile phone user at recently installed small cell locations. The comparison between the small cell and macro cell scenarios revealed a reduction of the total exposure when the user equipment was logged into the investigated LTE small cells, although the downlink exposure increased. The main reason for this encouraging result is the reduction of the uplink transmission power due to the improved link conditions across the small cell. In contrast, the total exposure in a macro cell scenario is dominated by the uplink exposure. In order to minimise the total exposure, a balance must be sought between downlink and uplink exposure. Conclusion With the proposed method of combined UL [uplink] and DL [downlink] exposure assessment, a comparison was made between macro cell and small cell scenarios, with the latter tending to lower the total user exposure. Therefore, not only the demands for improved data rates, capacities and coverage of the mobile network, but also a reduction of the total exposure could be achieved with the small cell deployment. The proposed method could be extended to the evaluation of the dose with different exposure durations due to the link connections. In a next step, the data can be evaluated in relation to measurement distances, in order to make a general statement about total exposure independent of specific measurement scenarios. Furthermore, the method should be extended towards 5G and indoor small cells. ieeexplore.ieee.org

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeexposure_assessment
Effect directionmixed
Populationmobile phone user (as assessed via SAR-based method at small cell locations)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureRF
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The comparison between small cell and macro cell scenarios found a reduction in total exposure when user equipment was logged into the investigated LTE small cells, although downlink exposure increased. The reduction was attributed to lower uplink transmission power due to improved link conditions; in the macro cell scenario total exposure was dominated by uplink exposure.

Outcomes measured

  • Combined uplink and downlink RF exposure assessed in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR)
  • Comparison of total exposure between LTE small cell and macro cell scenarios
  • Relative contributions of uplink vs downlink exposure

Limitations

  • No frequency, SAR values, or exposure durations reported in the abstract
  • Sample size and participant details not reported
  • Results described as based on investigated LTE small cell locations; generalizability beyond specific measurement scenarios not established
  • Method extension to 5G/indoor small cells described as future work
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile network (LTE) small cells vs macro cells; mobile phone user equipment uplink and downlink",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "mobile phone user (as assessed via SAR-based method at small cell locations)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Combined uplink and downlink RF exposure assessed in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR)",
    "Comparison of total exposure between LTE small cell and macro cell scenarios",
    "Relative contributions of uplink vs downlink exposure"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The comparison between small cell and macro cell scenarios found a reduction in total exposure when user equipment was logged into the investigated LTE small cells, although downlink exposure increased. The reduction was attributed to lower uplink transmission power due to improved link conditions; in the macro cell scenario total exposure was dominated by uplink exposure.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "No frequency, SAR values, or exposure durations reported in the abstract",
    "Sample size and participant details not reported",
    "Results described as based on investigated LTE small cell locations; generalizability beyond specific measurement scenarios not established",
    "Method extension to 5G/indoor small cells described as future work"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "small cells",
    "macro cells",
    "LTE",
    "RF exposure",
    "uplink",
    "downlink",
    "specific absorption rate",
    "SAR",
    "mobile networks",
    "exposure assessment"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Mentions future extension towards 5G, but current work focuses on LTE exposure assessment."
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.23919/eumc50147.2022.9784284
PubMed: Not supplied

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