In-Situ 5G NR Base Station Exposure of the General Public: Comparison of Assessment Methods

Abstract

New measurement methods and equipment for correct 5G New Radio (NR) electromagnetic field (EMF) in-situ exposure assessment of instantaneous time-averaged exposure (E-avg) and maximum extrapolated field exposure (E-max) are proposed. The different options are investigated with in-situ measurements around 5G NR base stations (FR1) in different countries. The maximum electric field values satisfy the ICNIRP 2020 limit (maximum 7.7%). The difference between E-max and E-avg is <3 dB for the different measurement equipment at multiple sites in case there is only self-generated traffic. However, in a more realistic scenario, E-avg cannot be used to assess the exposure correctly due to influence of other users as the spatial distribution of user equipment (UE) influences E-avg, while E-max is not affected. However, when multiple UEs are collocated, there is no influence of the number of UEs. A broadband measurement can give a first impression of the RF-EMF exposure up to 700 m, but is not enough to assess the 5G-NR exposure.