5G Field level measurement for human exposure assessment: A lesson for 6G

Abstract

Field level measurement for human exposure assessment is an important and sometimes underestimated problem. The aim of this work is to describe the problem of field level measurement for the assessment of human exposure from 2G to 5G, showing the growing difficulties caused by an increasing flexibility of cellular communication systems. If on the one hand this flexibility allowed higher performances, on the other hand it made the estimation of the electromagnetic field more and more complex. 5G field level measurement for human exposure assessment represents a formidable complex problem, currently under study to identify reliable and low-cost methods. Vendors have recently understood this problem and have included a control on the power density radiated by antennas in 5G systems, known as the ”power lock” function. It is worth noting that for the first time a sophisticated power control is introduced in base stations (BS) for the human exposure target. This should be a lesson for the development of 6G, suggesting a safety-on-design approach to human exposure for the next generation of personal communication systems.