Environment and health
We believe in managing the impact of our operations responsibly and have committed ourselves to liaising closely with communities and local government in developing our networks. This and the alleged health risks of electromagnetic field radiation (EMF) continue to concern some of our customers and other stakeholders.
However, the scientific community continues to ask for more research and we support this call for further independent studies. Last year we provided more than €800,000 to help finance a number of key studies in this field. We help to fund the German Mobile Research Programme into high-frequency emissions from base stations and mobile handsets, as well as further research by the Research Association for Radio Applications. Other projects include the electromagnetic field monitoring project by the Regulation Office for Telecommunications and Post.
Along with other German operators, we have made commitments to the federal Government to consult with communities on the development of our network. Before purchase, our customers can obtain information on the standard absorption rate (SAR) of all the mobile devices we distribute. This information is available on the internet, in brochures and through contacting O2, we provide comprehensive information for the public on our network development and how to use our products appropriately.
Our commitments are being monitored by the German Institute for Urban Studies and an independent consumer protection institute, Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen. Both have confirmed that we have complied with our commitments for locating our sites to the Government, but they have also put forward a number of suggested improvements which are now under active consideration.
