Following concerns by some residents that mobile phone towers in Bur Dubai and JLT are too close to their homes for comfort, du is assuring consumers that it only erects towers where national telecommunications policy allow.
The telecom’s assurances come after residents voiced health concerns about the location of three du mobile towers on the rooftop of their residential building in Bur Dubai.
The unease among expatriates comes on the heels of growing public concern and Indian government probes into the effects of people living within 50 metres of mobile phone towers in heavily congested neighbourhoods.
Asked to comment on safety issues in the UAE, du issued a statement to Gulf News noting that it is fully compliant with regulations issued by federal authorities.
“We take the health of our customers and fellow UAE residents very seriously, and are therefore fully compliant to a TRA policy that governs the placement of mobile sites in public areas, and which defines the minimum distance of exposure,” the statement read. “On top of this, we ensure that our mobile sites are in keeping with the best international practices and standards, strictly adhering to global standards of health and safety.”
The telecom noted that rooftop wireless towers are not exclusive to the UAE.
“The placement of mobile antennas on top of buildings is a common practice around the world, so this is not a phenomenon exclusive to Dubai. When the conditions are suitable, buildings are used to carry our mobile antennas to boost the signal for our customers in a particular area. There is no specific reason why the building in question is being used, other than its suitability and strategic location for the purpose. By removing this site, the mobile coverage in the surrounding area will be affected.”
In May 2011, the World Health Organisation (Who) issued a decision by the International Agency on Research on Cancer (IARC) that “classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans [Group 2B] based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.”
The decision was arrived at after a group of 31 scientists from 14 countries weighed latest research on the dangers associated with transmitting wireless signals to more than five billion mobile phones in use around the world.
However, in its statement, du pointed out that the same Who/IARC decision also noted that there was “limited or inadequate” evidence of the risk of cancer” and that scientists await more study to make more detailed conclusions.
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