Mobile telecommunication installations
Thousands of base stations provide for practically whole area mobile telecommunication coverage in Switzerland. The downside is that exposure to high-frequency radiation from antennas is increasing throughout the country.
The intensity of this form of radiation depends on several factors, e.g. transmission power, volume of transmitted data, distance from the antenna, damping by walls and roofs. This means that, while the number of locations of mobile telecommunication installations does not provide direct information on the level of exposure to non-ionising radiation, it does provide an indication of the development of mobile phone networks. Since each transmitter can only handle a limited volume of calls and data, the number of transmitters has to be increased as the use of mobile telecommunications increases.
impossible to evaluate
impossible to evaluate
Since 1999, the number of mobile telecommunication installations has increased by almost a factor of ten. As before, new transmitters are being added to mobile phone networks because the capacity of each transmitter is limited.
Because the number of transmitters is not sufficient on its own to provide information about levels of electrosmog in the environment, this indicator is not evaluated. Levels of electrosmog depend on the factors cited above. As the density of mobile phone networks increases, especially in towns and cities, each transmitter covers a smaller area, and this means that the transmission power per unit tends to decrease.
- Related indicators
- SIM-Karten Mobilfunk
Comparing the number of installations makes little sense in view of the different sizes of the various countries.
Mobile network operators supply the Federal Office of Communications with data.
Further information
