Home Office programme of work on TETRA health issues

Background

Airwave is the new mobile radio system for the police service in England, Wales and Scotland. It is based on TETRA (TErrestrial Trunked RAdio) technology, a European standard that was agreed in the early 1990’s by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. TETRA technology has been adopted by emergency services in countries around the world because of its resilience and the high security it provides.

There were no particular concerns about the health and safety aspects of TETRA technology until the publication of the Stewart Report on Mobile Phones and Health in May 2000. Although the report did not make any specific recommendations about TETRA technology, it did mention scientific work that indicated that radio signals with modulations around 16 Hz might have an effect on calcium exchanges in cells. The report stated that the evidence was inconclusive, but recommended a precautionary approach in future technology developments.

Because the signals from Airwave handsets contain a modulation at 17.6 Hz, the Home Office asked the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to look at the health and safety aspects of the TETRA technology used by Airwave. The NRPB’s independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published a comprehensive report “Possible health effects from TETRA” in July 2001. The AGNIR experts concluded that it is unlikely that TETRA could pose a risk to health. The AGNIR experts also made eight recommendations for future research to address the remaining areas of uncertainty.

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