Method of analysis of populations exposure and radio coverage of GSM and UMTS mobile phone networks

We present a description and preliminary results of a large-scale project (COMOP) started in 2009 by the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy and the National Agency of Frequencies (ANFR). This work is collaborative between the government, municipalities, associations, network operators and agencies. This project concerns GSM and UMTS mobile phone networks. Sixteen voluntary pilot communes were selected to carry out the experiments. This work is based on numerical modeling methods associated with various innovative measurement campaigns. It consists of: - determination of current status of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by base station antennas by modeling and measurements. - investigations on reducing this exposure while assessing the impact of parallel territorial coverage and quality of service of mobile networks. This study has established a comprehensive scientific realization of human exposure to radio-frequencies from base station antennas. These results constitute an innovative approach and are relevant in terms of dialogue in the current debate about positioning of base stations. (authors)