“I don’t think the operating carriers fully anticipated the global concern that has been created when moving from 4G to 5G,” Jeffry Ebihara, Waterford Consultants, LLC Vice President, Business Development, told Inside Towers.
In recent years, 5G has been front and center of the wireless landscape, promising significantly enhanced network capabilities and applications. As operators make the push to rapidly deploy and expand the next generation network, concerns have arisen – specifically, difficulties in regulatory approval for high-volume wireless sites in urban areas and public pushback over perceived health concerns – exposing gaps in compliance processes around the world.
FCC-mandated regulatory compliance with human radio frequency emissions exposure guidelines has traditionally been performed through predictive modeling or on-site measurements and the issuance of a formal compliance report before a site is commissioned. The same methodology is utilized in most countries, worldwide. However, site compliance can only truly be confirmed for the date the study was performed, and there has been no way of ensuring compliance the next week, next month, or next year … until a follow-up audit is completed.
Waterford Consultants, LLC is a leading RF engineering consulting firm, headquartered in the U.S., specializing in regulatory compliance, which offers both predictive and on-site RF studies, along with their RF modeling and compliance software, RFMaster™ (formerly RoofMaster™). The team at Waterford believed more was possible to assure people that wireless sites remain safely in compliance through continuous monitoring of RF exposure levels and remediation controls. This belief resulted in the creation of Waterford’s patented Radio Frequency Infrastructure Sentry (RFIS™).
RFIS™ provides continuous, 24/7/365 monitoring and reporting of the RF environment and compliance controls (e.g., signage, barriers, etc.), enabling current and historical, verifiable data to be expressed as a percentage of maximum permissible exposure. This data is collected using a custom-engineered and integrated spectrum analyzer and is displayed on a user-friendly, web-accessed dashboard. In the event of a change in the environment or compromised compliance, a real-time alert via SMS text or email is sent to the site manager/owner or to a network operations center. “The timing of RFIS™ is perfect to help the carriers, local jurisdictions, infrastructure providers, and property managers address these concerns.” Ebihara explains.
“RF emissions aren’t something you can see, hear, smell or touch. So, by nature, that leaves people fearful because they don’t really understand it,” said Cullen Prince, Waterford Director of Marketing. “When non-engineers first view the RFIS™ dashboard, they immediately understand the RF emissions levels at the antenna site and whether the site is in compliance with governmental guidelines. This leads to fewer community fears over 5G RF emissions, because for the first time, our industry is providing transparency of simple, verifiable, and defendable compliance data.”
As an additional safety feature, RFIS™ can be programmed to reduce power at the antenna if someone comes into close proximity. Combining RFIS™ with proximity sensors or AI-enabled cameras and relays, emitter power is temporarily reduced when a worker enters an area where the RF may exceed the FCC’s allowable limits for the general population. Antenna power is automatically restored when RFIS™ senses the worker has left the area. This reduces outages and downtime when workers forget to restore power to equipment when leaving the area, as well as eliminates the need for additional compensatory nodes if and when antenna power is permanently reduced (by as much as 6dB or more).
This application for RFIS™ eliminates unsightly FCC-mandated alert signage in aesthetically sensitive environments like airports, sports arenas, entertainment, and other venues. With the ability to temporarily reduce emitter power and verify the reduction when people enter areas where the RF emissions exceed limits, warning signage is no longer needed.
Typical alert notifications include pre-set percentage increases in RF emissions, presence of new devices, removal of existing equipment, the appearance of unknown frequencies, or disruptions in physical barriers and signage when RFIS is combined with cameras and sensors. A user portal allows real-time site visibility and on-demand compliance report generation.
“RFIS™ integrates with the comprehensive RF compliance and safety plans we develop for our clients, which includes initial site analysis and certification, mitigation installation and management and RF safety training,” Ebihara explained. “RFIS™ is the final piece of the process. When integrated into an overall safety program, it ensures RF compliance is maintained continuously and indefinitely.”
Approximately the size of a small pizza box, the RFIS™ unit is placed where the level of RF exposure concern exists. In Phoenix, AZ, RFIS™ was installed at a large school campus on the rooftop of the classroom and in the direct line of sight of a carrier’s 4G and 5G antennas. If changes in the RF environment are detected, an alert is generated and corrective action can be taken immediately by school officials. This allowed school administrators to take a proactive approach to RF safety and allay parent, student, and faculty concerns.
“Prior to RFIS™, the only way to accomplish continuous RF monitoring was to have someone sit in a lawn chair with a meter and probe, and then perpetually upload and compile the data into a formal report,” Ebihara said. “With RFIS™, monitoring is now continuous, accurate, immediate, and cost effective.”
Target Market
The target market for RFIS™ includes anyone concerned about RF exposure, such as:
- Infrastructure companies
- Commercial real estate owners and facility managers
- Educational campuses
- Corporate campuses
- Local jurisdictions
“Shortcomings with traditional RF monitoring methods exist on a global scale”, according to Prince, “and RFIS™ has garnered international interest. The RFIS™ technology is applicable and operational in accordance with most countries’ regulatory authority standards”. Responsibility for compliance is not exclusive to licensed wireless operators. Building owners and property managers share liability. RFIS™ can be installed at or near any wireless site type including rooftops, small cells, indoor & outdoor DAS, macro tower sites, water towers, billboards, etc.
“We’ve installed RFIS™ on houses where residents had concerns about 5G small cells going in the right of way close to their home, as well as in pre-K schools and day care centers located near cell towers”, Ebihara said. “RFIS™ has been successfully deployed in arenas and other sports venues, and we’re gaining a lot of traction in airports where passengers have expressed concern as a result of required RF alerting signage. This is especially in light of recent media stories about the aviation industry’s concern over 5G.”
Conclusion
The assurance that a site remains in safe, continuous compliance with governmental guidelines for human exposure has many benefits for the licensed wireless operator, infrastructure owner or facility manager, especially in terms of financial risk and liability. Since 2015 RF emissions have been excluded by the commercial insurance industry from general liability policies. Very few corporate risk managers realize they lack liability coverage for the antennas on their rooftops and inside their buildings. This is in addition to fines by the FCC or OSHA for non-compliance.
At a municipal zoning hearing, consistent monitoring and visibility of a site’s compliance status can aid in alleviating the concerns expressed by an anti-5G audience, which perceives a looming health risk from RF emitting equipment. Once the site is zoned and permitted, regulatory compliance is fully automated with RFIS™, so routinely scheduled on-site audits are no longer necessary, resulting in reduced operating expenditures, as well as an enhancement to the public’s peace of mind.
The last couple years have brought about a growing interest in understanding the environment around us and feeling that it’s safe. Many of us sleep peacefully knowing our smoke alarms, radon detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and home security systems are doing their job. As RF emitting equipment becomes an increasingly nearby presence in our day-to-day activities, RFIS™ provides an added layer of risk management, safety and security.
“We believe RFIS™ is the tool that will enable businesses and people around the globe to reap the benefits of the 5G vision, while freeing themselves of any concern for health and safety related hazards ”, Prince added.
For more information, visit https://rfis.com/ or contact Jeffrey Ebihara via email.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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