Telecommunications FAQs

Telecommunications contracts FAQs

Mobile phones have now been in existence for more than 15 years. They are low powered two-way radios that convert human voice and data messages into radio waves.

Mobile Phones and Base Stations

When making a call, these are radio signals are sent from mobile phones to the nearest a base station which transmits them to other mobiles or fixed networks. Mobile phones and the antennas are mounted on base stations produce radio frequency fields similar to those emitted by TV transmitters and radios used by taxes, emergency services and broadcasters.

International health and safety guidelines, endorsed by the World Health Organisation are in place to ensure radio waves stay below a certain level limiting the public's exposure to them. All base stations in the United Kingdom produced radio frequency fields while below the international guidelines.

What is a base station (mast)?

Mobile phones do not work without base stations. Without them a call cannot be made. They need to be where people use their phones.

In order to enable millions of people across the country to make calls, each of the five mobile phone operators divides the United Kingdom into thousands of individual geographical areas known as ourselves. At the heart of each of sale is a base station. The cells overlap at the edges to prevent halting coverage. If the base stations are too far apart, calls cannot be handed over from one area to another and are interrupted or dropped when mobile users are on the move.

Base stations vary. They can be traditional masts, freestanding latticed towers, 10 polls, rooftops, lampposts, trees or flight polls. Antennas are often integrated into the design of buildings around us (for example there are often contained with in the walling in shopping centres).

The size of a cell depends upon the population demand and local terrain. Radio signals can be blocked by trees buildings, hills and valleys.