May 21, 2001

The Honorable Michael Powell
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

Dear Chairman Powell:

We write to transmit the enclosed General Accounting Office (GAO) report on "Research and Regulatory Efforts on Mobile Phone Health Issues," and to urge you to implement the recommendations it contains, as well as additional recommendations that we feel follow from the report’s conclusions.

As you know, mobile phone use in the United States has increased exponentially over the last few years; indeed, the number of cellular subscribers has already grown from 16 million in 1994 to 110 million in 2001. As more Americans use wireless phones, wireless service is less and less perceived as an ancillary, discretionary service. In the years to come consumers will increasingly be relying on this technology for business, safety, and everyday personal use. Lingering concern about potential health risks associated with these devices has prompted the wireless industry, private researchers, and government agencies to seek greater information about the existence, nature and extent of any possible adverse health effects caused by radiofrequency radiation emitted by mobile phones.

The GAO cites a consensus in the world scientific community that research to date does not show that radiofrequency emissions from mobile phones have adverse health effects, but that there is not yet enough information to conclude that the phones pose no risk. The GAO report concludes that "[g]iven the long-term nature of much of the research being conducted – particularly the epidemiological and animal studies – it will likely be many more years before a definitive conclusion can be reached on whether mobile phone emissions pose any risk to human health." Until more scientific investigation has been done, it is imperative that the American public be provided with clear and up to date information describing what is known about the safety of their cellular phones. The GAO found that the Commission should be doing a better job providing information about the issue, and that the Commission should make it easier for consumers to learn about radiofrequency radiation and how much radiation is emitted by different models of mobile phones.

The GAO also demonstrated the extent to which SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) tests, which measure the radiofrequency emissions of mobile phones, can produce widely varying results based on differences in testing procedures. This finding is disturbing, given that manufacturers of cellular phones test their own products, or pay private labs to perform the tests. The Commission must do everything it can to ensure that discrepancies in testing procedures do not lead to inconsistent or inaccurate reporting of SAR levels by phone manufacturers.

The GAO report contains a number of recommendations for Federal government agencies, including suggested action for the Commission. We urge you to implement these sensible steps expeditiously. In particular, the GAO report included the following proposals for the Commission:

• upgrade the Commission’s consumer information program to avail consumers of access to clear, consistent and easily understood information about mobile phone radiofrequency exposure issues,

• develop a plan to secure additional personnel skilled in radiofrequency exposure and testing issues,

• standardize SAR testing procedures to reduce variation in test results, and,

• consult with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with respect to FDA’s methods for incorporating measurement uncertainty in determining compliance with radiofrequency limits.

Senator Joseph Lieberman                     
Ranking Member                                                 
Senate Committee On                                   
Governmental Affairs                                                                     

Representative Ed Markey
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on Telecommunications
and the Internet

cc: Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services