Health

Some people worry that mobile phones carry potential health risks to users and the wider public.

O2 provides information and advice on these alleged risks and contributes fully to the ongoing debate. 

We take people's concerns seriously and put the health and safety of our customers, employees and the wider public at the top of our agenda. We include the perception of an alleged health risk from mobile communications in our consolidated Group risk register.

The debate about mobile phones and health revolves around the safe levels of exposure to radio frequency waves (RF) emitted from mobile phones and base stations.

We ensure we operate safely and well within international exposure guidelines. We also explain how mobile network technology works.

We publish details about mobile networks and how they work on our website: O2 in society.

In common with other network operators, O2 provides an adequate number of masts in a particular area to give enough capacity and reduce the chances of the signal being interrupted or the call 'dropped'.

Dropped calls are one of the performance measures used by the regulator to measure the quality of our network. When we applied for a UMTS (3G - third generation mobile network) licence in Germany, for example, we were required to achieve 50 per cent coverage of the population by the end of 2005. In the UK, the licence requirement is 80 per cent population coverage by the end of 2007.

We aim to provide the best information possible on health and mobile phones and to fund independent research into their potential health effects.

With government and other industry organisations, we co-fund continuing independent and peer-reviewed research into mobile phone technology and its effects on human health.

We continue to work within the guidelines set by the UK's Stewart report in 2000, which recommended a precautionary approach and continuing research over time.

We sponsor an open discussion on mobile phones and health through our series of online debates. In June 2006 we took part in an investor round table with mast activists to explain health and environment to an investor audience.

As well as access to information about regulation, safety guidelines and the industry's own rules on building networks safely, we offer advice on issues such as child protection and customer safety and leaflets explaining the current scientific thinking. This information is available through our website at www.o2.com