We want to make our mobile communications infrastructure and our products, as well as the processes on which they are based, as resource-efficient, secure, and safe for health as possible. In Germany these activities are based in particular on voluntary commitments by mobile network operators and a mobile communications agreement with local authorities’ associations. External experts review compliance with these voluntary commitments every two years. In 2022, the mobile network operators presented the latest mobile communications expert report (for 2020 and 2021) to the German government, which was coordinated and published by the Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik (German Institute for Urban Studies). According to the report, the mobile communications expansion is progressing smoothly for the most part, with the few controversial issues down to isolated incidents. The report surveyed over 1 700 municipalities throughout Germany, with 90 percent of them reporting they had few or no controversial cases to decide.
In June 2020, working in cooperation with the leading municipal associations and other German network operators, we revised and updated the existing agreement on information exchange in connection with the expansion of mobile networks that had been in place since 2001. Its goal is to ensure that municipalities are involved in establishing the 5G networks and in a swift and conflict-free expansion of the network infrastructure. In addition, the four network operators added a regulation for the expansion of small cells to the 2020agreement with the municipal associations. Network operators had already agreed to this in February 2020 in their voluntary commitment on the issue of small cells to the German government.
Policy on Electromagnetic Fields The policy on electromagnetic fields (EMF) in force throughout the Group since 2004 plays a primary role: Our EMF Policy contains uniform minimum requirements for mobile communications and health that go far beyond the national legal requirements. Our policy provides our national companies with a mandatory framework that makes sure that the topic of mobile communications and health is addressed in a consistent, responsible way throughout the Group. All of our national companies have officially accepted the EMF Policy and implemented most of the required measures.
Our EMF Policy stipulates the following principles and measures:
EMF Policy
Transparency
Information
Participation
Promoting science & partnerships
Transparency
We place importance on openly discussing issues involved in mobile communications. We make all relevant information regarding our mobile communications equipment in Germany accessible to the public, e.g., on the EMF database operated by the German Federal Network Agency.
Information
We provide consumer information that is easy to understand and pursue a fact-based, sound information policy. On our Group website we provide the latest information to those interested. We also provide our customers with information online on the SAR levels of their mobile devices. Additional details are also available in the shops and through our free environmental hotline.
Participation
We rely on close collaboration and constructive dialog with all those involved, including municipalities, when it comes to network expansion. Our goal is to find amicable solutions and negotiate acceptable compromises, which can only be achieved by responding fairly to critical arguments and being ready to learn from mistakes.
Promoting science & partnerships
Our guidelines call for promoting targeted research, scientific excellence, transparency, objectivity, and intelligibility.
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We conduct ongoing reviews of compliance with our EMF Policy. Our international working group, the “EMF Core Team”, uses the findings to improve individual aspects a to jointly develop solutions.
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Our approach to safe mobile communication
Our contribution to the SDGs
We want to make our mobile communications infrastructure and our products, as well as the processes on which they are based, as resource-efficient, secure, and safe for health as possible. In Germany these activities are based in particular on voluntary commitments by mobile network operators and a mobile communications agreement with local authorities’ associations. External experts review compliance with these voluntary commitments every two years. In 2022, the mobile network operators presented the latest mobile communications expert report (for 2020 and 2021) to the German government, which was coordinated and published by the Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik (German Institute for Urban Studies). According to the report, the mobile communications expansion is progressing smoothly for the most part, with the few controversial issues down to isolated incidents. The report surveyed over 1 700 municipalities throughout Germany, with 90 percent of them reporting they had few or no controversial cases to decide.
In June 2020, working in cooperation with the leading municipal associations and other German network operators, we revised and updated the existing agreement on information exchange in connection with the expansion of mobile networks that had been in place since 2001. Its goal is to ensure that municipalities are involved in establishing the 5G networks and in a swift and conflict-free expansion of the network infrastructure. In addition, the four network operators added a regulation for the expansion of small cells to the 2020 agreement with the municipal associations. Network operators had already agreed to this in February 2020 in their voluntary commitment on the issue of small cells to the German government.
Policy on Electromagnetic Fields
(EMF) in force throughout the Group since 2004 plays a primary role: Our EMF Policy contains uniform minimum requirements for mobile communications and health that go far beyond the national legal requirements. Our policy provides our national companies with a mandatory framework that makes sure that the topic of mobile communications and health is addressed in a consistent, responsible way throughout the Group. All of our national companies have officially accepted the EMF Policy and implemented most of the required measures.
The policy on electromagnetic fields
Our EMF Policy stipulates the following principles and measures:
EMF Policy
Transparency
We place importance on openly discussing issues involved in mobile communications. We make all relevant information regarding our mobile communications equipment in Germany accessible to the public, e.g., on the EMF database operated by the German Federal Network Agency.
Information
We provide consumer information that is easy to understand and pursue a fact-based, sound information policy. On our Group website we provide the latest information to those interested. We also provide our customers with information online on the SAR levels of their mobile devices. Additional details are also available in the shops and through our free environmental hotline.
Participation
We rely on close collaboration and constructive dialog with all those involved, including municipalities, when it comes to network expansion. Our goal is to find amicable solutions and negotiate acceptable compromises, which can only be achieved by responding fairly to critical arguments and being ready to learn from mistakes.
Promoting science & partnerships
Our guidelines call for promoting targeted research, scientific excellence, transparency, objectivity, and intelligibility.
We conduct ongoing reviews of compliance with our EMF Policy. Our international working group, the “EMF Core Team”, uses the findings to improve individual aspects a to jointly develop solutions.
Do you have questions on this topic?
Cornelia SzyszkowitzAsk our expert: