No Need to Fear Mobile Tower Radiation, Says BTRC Chairman

Rangpur, August 11, Tuesday: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari (Retd.) has urged the public not to panic over electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from mobile towers and instead develop awareness based on scientific information. At the same time, BTRC conducted EMF radiation and mobile network Quality of Service (QoS) measurements at 11 key locations in Rangpur.

Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting titled “Monitoring of Mobile Tower EMF Radiation, Public Awareness and QoS Improvement” at the Rangpur Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Room on Tuesday morning, he made the remarks.

The BTRC chairman said approval from the commission is required to install mobile towers and there is no scope for installing towers without permission. While mobile tower radiation has raised questions and concerns at different times, BTRC is working to provide accurate information and increase public awareness.

He said radio signals and power levels of mobile towers are technical matters. Therefore, scientific explanations and compliance with prescribed standards are essential. Towers installed on rooftops must also comply with approved rules and prescribed limits. Questions regarding the number and location of towers are being considered within the technical and regulatory framework, he added.

EMF measured at 11 locations
A BTRC technical expert team measured EMF radiation in Rangpur city and surrounding areas from August 8 to 11. Educational institutions, hospitals and health centres, densely populated residential areas, markets and commercial zones, and structures near mobile towers were prioritised.

The locations included Grand Palace Hotel, Cantonment Road, Shapla Mor, Alamnagar, Shyamoli Technical College, Railway Station, Tajhat Bazar, Tajhat Zamindar Bari, Town Hall and the Office of the Additional Superintendent of Police.

According to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the reference safety limit for radiation is 61 volts per metre (V/m). BTRC measurements recorded a maximum of 1.795 V/m and an average of 1.082 V/m at Grand Palace Hotel. The maximum reading was 10.480 V/m at Cantonment Road and only 0.474 V/m at the Railway Station. Radiation levels did not exceed 11 V/m at any other measured location in the district.

4G speeds exceed QoS benchmarks
Alongside EMF measurements, BTRC’s technical team also assessed mobile network QoS in different parts of Rangpur.

According to BTRC’s presented benchmarks, the 2G Voice-MOS benchmark is above 3.5, while the measured average was 3.87. The average 4G Voice-MOS was 3.42 and 4G VoLTE Voice-MOS was 3.07. Voice-MOS is an indicator used to assess voice-call audibility and conversational quality over mobile networks.

The benchmark for 4G downlink throughput is above 10 Mbps, while the measured average was 23.39 Mbps. The uplink benchmark is above 2 Mbps, against a measured average of 12.94 Mbps. Downlink throughput refers to the rate at which data is delivered from a base station to a user’s device, while uplink throughput refers to the rate at which data is sent from a user’s device to a base station.

Awareness urged over internet use and AI
On internet usage, Emdad Ul Bari said how a customer uses a specific amount of purchased data depends on individual needs. Various packages are available according to customer demand, including unlimited internet packages. Ensuring service quality and customer rights, however, remains the regulator’s primary responsibility. BTRC is working at multiple levels to identify and resolve internet service-related problems, with particular focus on network quality, customer service and technical infrastructure.

Regarding social media and artificial intelligence, he said technological use cannot be stopped to solve problems; instead, public awareness about responsible technology use must be increased. AI-generated fake videos and images are increasingly creating distrust even around authentic information. Individuals must therefore act responsibly when using social media.

Urging parents to remain vigilant about children’s use of games and social media, he said completely restricting children’s access to technology is not a solution. Parents should monitor the games and content their children consume and help them avoid excessive dependence on mobile phones.

BTRC Director General of Engineering and Operations Brigadier General Shafiul Azam Parvez and officials concerned were present at the meeting. Chaired by Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin, the meeting was organised by the Rangpur district administration and attended by stakeholders, teachers and students from local universities and colleges, representatives of the district and police administrations, media professionals and people from different professions.
//DBTech/Report/Edit//