Workers' Exposure Due to Private 5G Networks

Abstract

Private 5G mobile networks are emerging as a platform for wireless connectivity in professional applications across smart industrial sectors such as automated warehousing, logistics, autonomous vehicle deployments in campus environments, mining, and material processing, among others. It is expected that most Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) communication links will increasingly rely on wireless solutions, as the flexibility they offer provides clear advantages over hard-wired network installations. To gain insight into workers’ exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) emitted by 5G private mobile networks, an analysis was conducted based on measured and calculated RF EMF levels from various 5G private networks in real-world scenarios across different smart industrial sectors and R&D platforms in three countries. Several exposure scenarios were evaluated, including production facilities, logistics operations, office environments, and research sites. The installations included different configurations: private standalone and non-standalone 5G networks operating at 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz, as well as public networks with private slicing. The results clearly demonstrated that exposure levels in all investigated scenarios were well below existing exposure limits. In a typical indoor industrial environment where pico 5G base stations are deployed, the measured exposure was found to be no greater than 0.006% of the Directive 2013/35/EU action value and 0.03% of the ICNIRP guideline limits for the general public.