Pre-launch radiation tests of mobiles says DoT

Mobile handset manufacturers, as well as importers in India, would soon have to get their handsets tested for radiation before any launch across the country, if the recommendations of Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the department of telecommunications, are accepted.

A TEC committee set up to study issues related to implementation of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines has said the manufacturer/importer would have to provide two random samples of each model being sold in India to TEC for compliance monitoring before the launch.

This exercise would be done to monitor the compliance of SAR limits for mobile phones, an internal note said. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) shows the amount of radio waves absorbed by the body while using a mobile phone. DoT has already approved self-certification of mobile handsets by the manufacturers/importers for SAR value, which would be published in the booklet of the handset or on the handset itself.

So coming days will not easy for Mobile manufacturers and Bearing another cost of TEC test will lead to increase in Mobile cost. On the other hand if TEC delays the testing of samples, there would be no impact on service providers and handset manufacturers.